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Poland
Flag of Poland
Population (in Mil.)	38.5
Sex Ratio (m/f)	0,94
Life Expectancy Ratio (f/m)	1.12
Fertility Rate	1.27
Income Ratio (f/m)	0.59
Literacy Ratio (f/m)	n/a
Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (f/m)	1,41
Women in Parliament (in %)	20,4
SIGI Rank	-
More information on variables

Overview

Since the end of communism in 1989, Poland's transition to a democratic state has witnessed limited progress in gender equality for women. Wage discrepancies, traditional customs that stress the role of women in the private sphere, and inconsistent policies targeting gender discrimination and protecting women's rights must still be addressed before gender equality is achieved.

Employment

Women are concentrated in the more poorly paid occupations and trades, especially in low paying and low status public sector occupations. In 2006, 52.9% of women aged 15 years and older were inactive in the labor market, among men – 37.0%. The greater labor market inactivity among women compared to men is related to traditional perceptions of women as being connected to the private sphere, and the belief that men are responsible to a greater degree for the material well being of a family. Only 5% of households with children up to the age of 12 take advantage of institutionalized child care.

Legislation

The formulation of equal rights of women and men found in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland guarantees the equality of women and men in employment, access to promotion, and wages for work of equal value. The institutional mechanism on gender equality in Poland is the Governmental Plenipotentiary for the Equal Status of Women and Men. The Plenipotentiary has different tasks, but no power to make decisions. Its responsibilities are limited to monitoring, analyzing, assessing, informing and educating. In March 2005, the Parliamentary Committee on the Equal Status of Women and Men was established to deal particularly with equality between women and men in political, economic and social life. The bill on the equal status of women and men is the longest-discussed draft in the history of the Polish Parliament. The first version was prepared in 1993 and since then it has been amended and debated in every four-year term. In December 2004, the Government adopted a bill on combating and preventing family violence. The draft law was debated by the Polish Parliament in February 2005, but has not been yet adopted.

Political Empowerment

Women in Poland gained the right to vote and run for office in 1918. Women attained their highest numbers in Sejm (Poland's Parliament) from 1980 to 1985, when they represented 23% of parliamentarians. After the 2005 elections, women’s representation dropped. While the number of women parliamentarians remained at a similar level to the previous term’s (94), the number of women in the Senate went from 23 to 13, resulting in Poland placing much lower, 49th
(out of 139) in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s worldwide ranking (IPU).

Sources

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/women/articles_publications/publications/equal_20050502
UNDP, Gender Mainstreaming Report 2007: Poland [accessible on: http://www.undp.org.pl/gender/aktualnosci.php?news=1019]

The Women, Business and the Law

Where are laws equal for men and women?

The Women, Business and the Law report presents indicators based on laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees. Several of these indicators draw on the Gender Law Library, a collection of over 2,000 legal provisions impacting women's economic status. This report does not seek to judge or rank countries, but to provide information to inform discussions about women’s economic rights. Covering 128 economies, Women, Business and the Law provides data covering 6 areas: accessing institutions,using property, getting a job, dealing with taxes, building credit, and going to court.Read more about the methodology.

For detailed information on Poland, please visit the Women, Business and
the Law Poland page.