On 16 January, the Polish government presented a report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women from the execution of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). A few days earlier (on 12 January) the members of the Committee met with the representatives of Polish women’s organizations and familiarized themselves with the shadow report that they prepared. (25- JAN-07)

Written by Marta Lempicka/HRH Warsaw
Sources: www.federa.org.pl, www.gazeta.pl

The shadow report was prepared by the Polish Federation for Woman and Family Planning, La Strada, Centre for Women´s Rights, PSF Women´s Centre (Polish Feminist Association) and the Pro Femina Association. In the shadow report, the women’s organizations have written inter alia about violence against women, discrimination on the labor market and discrimination in politics, violations of reproductive rights, as well as trafficking in women. They accuse the Polish authorities of inter alia not having a consistent and long-term policy aimed at counteracting violence against women, violating the right to freedom and health protection by supporting the restrictive anti-abortion law, as well as failing to monitor trafficking in women.

The government was represented by a delegation of more than a dozen women from various departments, headed by Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, the Deputy Minister for women, family and nondiscrimination at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. During the Committee Session, the government side defended the legal regulations in force in Poland stating that stereotypes, as well as social attitudes, including those of the women themselves, are to blame for the discrimination. Minister Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska made it clear that she opposes the manner of
leveling opportunities (parities). The government admitted that an abortion underground truly exists and that women in Poland have difficulties in executing the right to a legal abortion.

Each country that signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women should submit a report from its execution every 4 years. Nongovernmental organizations can submit a counter-report (shadow report) to this government report. After familiarizing itself with the argumentation of the government and the nongovernmental organizations, the Committee issues conclusion observations and recommendations, by which the government shall abide. The Polish government submitted its last report to the UN Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women 16 years ago.