Situation of Women in Poland

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Situation of Women in Poland

• Polites Association
• Szczecin

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The specificity of Polish country

• large degree of urbanization
• Migration of youth from countries to big cities
• individual holdings kept by old people
•  

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• liquidation of state owned- farms after the year
  1989
• Decreasing number of people living in the country
• Increasing number of people living in the country
  but commuting daily to their job, to big
  cities

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• Transfer of city lifestyle model to the country
  caused by its urbanization
• Houses in the villages and in the cities are
  equipped similarly

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• YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE COUNTRY AND SETTLING
  IN THE CITIES
•  
• But this migration is hindered because of limited
  job market and unemployment mostly refers to
  women

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UNEMPLOYMENT IN POLAND 1999-2003
Year Unemployment ratio
1999 12
2000 14
2001 16,2
2002 17,8
2003 19,9
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UNEMPLOYMENT OF WOMAN 1999-2003
year percentage of unemployed women in relation to unemployed men percentage of unemployed women in relation to unemployed men
year In general in rural areas
1999 61,4 60,3
2000 60,6 60,1
2001 56,3 55,8
2002 53,7 53,0
2003 54,6 54,0

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The specificity of Polish women situation
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• social inequalities of sex exist in Poland
• women have smaller possibilities of making
  careers they usually receive smaller salaries
  than men
• When woman and man are are applying for the same
  job, usually man succeeds

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• The reason of this situation is the model of
  culture existing in Poland which attributes the
  role of a mother to women. Also religion
  propagates this model of living ( Saint Mary as a
  mother)

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• Women problems

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• Women have problems with finding place to live
  and job after migrating from the
• country

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• Women from villages and small cities are often
  victims of such situations like breaking job
  agreement, illegal employment or trafficking.

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• There is a problem of selling women to brothels
  against their will. It occurs especially in
  Western Poland (where we live) Approximately 10
  000 women have been taken to Western Europe and
  forced to work in sex
• business

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There are a lot of problems but...
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• The majority of women organizations operating in
  Poland are occupied with actions concerning equal
  status of women and men as well as with helping
  women in the fields of law, psychology,
  homelessness and unemployment

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Women NGOs
There are 340 women organizations in Polish
databases that deal with
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• The problem of violence against women in family
  life and sexual abuse
• (62 organizations-18,2 )
• Helping women by providing support groups,
  psychological advice, telephone help-lines,
  shelter for homeless and single mothers, charity
• (145 organizations- 42,6 )

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• Offering employment agencies, courses of
  profession and activating women in the field of
  job market
• (118 organizations- 34,7 )
• 150 organizations declare activity concerning
  equal status of women and men
• (44,1)

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• OUR RESEARCHES

• We asked young people from secondary schools and
  universities to fill in an anonymous
  questionnaire in order to gather information
  about women who migrated from villages
• to big cities.

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Results...
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Do you think that women born in cities have
better chances in getting education and making
career?
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Do you think that moving to the city causes
difficulties?
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Have you ever witnessed discrimination of a woman
coming from the country?
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Is migration of young women to big cities common
in your village/ small town?
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Did you face any difficulties after moving to
Szczecin?
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Do you think that there are differences in
treating women in the country and in the cities?
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Differences

• in the city a woman is treated like a partner
• there is better access to education in the city
• sometimes women from the country are considered
  to be less intelligent
• in the country a woman is expected to look
  after children and the house.

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Have you ever faced discrimination of your person
because of the fact that you come from a village
or small town?
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Are you planning to go back to the place where
you live after you have finished your education?
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What perspectives do you see in staying in the
city?

•      continuing the education
•     job
•     acquaintances

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CONCLUSION...
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• Poland is a country of changes.
• In May Poland is joining the European Union.
  Position of women in Polish society is high but
  at the same time there are inequalities between
  men and women in the job market
• and in the family life.

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POLITES ASSOCIATION Szczecin