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  • Letter by KARAT Coalition to Prime Minister Ms. Beata Szydło

Coalition for CEDAW has sent a letter to Prime Minister Ms. Beata Szydło calling for appointment of the government plenipotentiary for equal status as well as including the recommendations outlined in the Final Remarks by CEDAW Committee and sent to Poland in November 2014, following the analysis of periodical report by the government of the Republic of Poland, into the government’s agenda.

 

  • Round Table meeting on CEDAW Committee’s Recommendations regarding women’s employment and economic situation

On June 18, 2015, a round table meeting was held to verify how Poland implements the CEDAW Committee’s recommendations regarding the employment and economic situation of women in Poland. The participants listened to information provided by representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Chief Labor Inspectorate, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education as well as the Ministry of Administration and Digitalization. The meeting was organized by KARAT Coalition, Coalition for CEDAW, together with the Ombudsman Office.

Detailed report on the meeting Round Table Economic Situation

The meeting has been video-recorded and is available on You Tube in 4 parts: 1 part, 2 part, 3 part, 4 part.

 

  • Invitation to take part in a round table meeting on UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s recommendations related to employment and economic situation of women

KARAT Coalition and Coalition for CEDAW invite you to take part in a round table meeting to discuss recommendations issued by UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and related to employment and economic situation of women.

The meeting will be held on June 18, at 10.30 a.m., at the Ombudsman Office, Długa Street, 23/25.

The meeting, under the auspices of the government plenipotentiary for equal gender treatment, is organized by the Coalition for CEDAW, together with the Ombudsman Office.

The agenda includes presentations by representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Chief Labor Inspectorate, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Administration and Digitalization.

In order to confirm your participation in the meeting, please send – by June 16 – an e-mail to the address listed in the invitation or to aleksandra.solik@KARAT.org.pl

Details of the meeting: Program-round table-economic situation of women

 

  • Round table meeting regarding recommendations of UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women regarding violence against women and girls, including domestic violence.

On June 2, a round table meeting was held to discuss recommendations issued by the CEDAW Committee regarding violence against women and girls. The participants heard information provided by representatives of the Ministry of Science and Social Policy, the Ministry of Justice, the Police Headquarters, the General Attorney and the Ministry of National Education on plans related to implementation of the recommendations. The meeting was organized by KARAT Coalition and Coalition for CEDAW, together with the Ombudsman Office.

 

Detailed report on the meeting Report_round _table_violence

The meeting has been video-recorded and is available on You Tube in 4 parts: 1 part, 2 part, 3 part, 4 part.

April 23, 2015

 

 

  • Invitation to take part in round table meeting on UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s recommendations on women and girls’ health.

KARAT Coalition and Coalition for CEDAW invite you to take part in a round table meeting to discuss recommendations issued by UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and related health issues of women and girls.

The meeting will be held on April 23, at 10.30 a.m., at the Ombudsman Office, Długa Street, 23/25.

The meeting, under the auspices of the government plenipotentiary for equal status, is organized by the Coalition for CEDAW, together with the Ombudsman Office.

The agenda includes information provided by representatives of the Ministry of Health, the National Health Fund and the Ministry of National Education regarding the implementation of the recommendations (paras. 30-31, 36-37, 38-39),

In order to confirm your participation in the meeting, please send – by April 21 – an e-mail to the address listed in the invitation or to aleksandra.solik@KARAT.org.pl

Invitation_Program_round-table-on-health-23-04.pdf

April 2015

 

  • Alternative report available in Polish

Polish version of the alternative report presented to CEDAW Committee by the Coalition for CEDAW is available. Translation: Agnieszka Grzybek

Polish version of the report:

December 2014

 

  • CEDAW Committee’s Recommendations for Poland

On Nov. 7, the CEDAW Committee presented Final Remarks regarding Poland’s report on implementation by the government the commitments resulting from the CEDAW Convention.

English version of the document is available on the Committee’s Website:

Polish version of the document:

November 7, 2014

 

  • Coalition for CEDAW’s position for 59. Session of CEDAW Committee

On Oct. 23, 2014 a press conference was held where representatives of the Coalition for CEDAW, an organization of 15 non-government entities promoting women’s rights and combating discrimination, presented to the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women information on Poland’s reporting process.

On Oct. 22, during 59. Session of the Committee, the government of Poland, with four-year delay, presented its report on implementation the U.N. Convention on Eliminating All Forms of Discrimination against Women for the period 2002-2010.

During a press conference that followed Poland’s presentation, the Coalition for CEDAW made its own statement, also presented in the Committee during the first day of the Session as well as an alternative report on implementation the Convention in Poland.

The report and the Coalition’s position were met with high interest of the Committee. During an informal meeting between its members and representatives of Polish NGOs, the latter ones answered the Committee’s probing questions on various issues, like the influence of the Catholic Church on education, women’s rights and legislation process, protection against discrimination in areas other than the labor market, access to contraception, sexual education and abortion, disparity between women and men’s wages, institutional solutions to implement gender equality etc.

The conference was attended by:

Agnieszka Grzybek, Foundation for Equality and Emancipation STER

Martyna Łysakiewicz, Trans-Fusion Foundation

Aleksandra Solik, Association KARAT Coalition

Karolina Więckiewicz, Federation for Women and Family Planning

Moderator: Krystyna Kacpura, Federation for Women and Family Planning

Oct. 23, 2014

 

  • 59. Session of CEDAW Committee

On Oct. 20 the 59. Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) started, to be completed on Nov. 7. During the very first day of the session the Committee met with representatives of NGOs from countries the governments of which are due to present their reports on implementation the CEDAW Convention during the first week of the session. The countries in question are: Venezuela, Poland, China and Ghana. During the meeting the position of the Coalition for CEDAW was presented (English version, Polish version), and the next day the Coalition’s representatives had a chance to answer detailed questions of the Committee members. This Q&A round took place during an unformal meeting held during the break of the session (so-called lunch briefing). The Committee members were particularly interested in the following issues:

• How gender stereotypes publicized by the Roman Catholic Church influence the implementation of women’s rights in Poland,

• Fate of the Council of Europe convention on preventing home abuse and violence against women (ratification),

• Gaps in the equal rights bill that omits protection from discrimination against women in some important areas,

• Women’s reproductive rights, including access to certain services,

• Reasons why changes in the electoral system has not been reflected in significant increase of female MPs,

• Solutions affecting women’s economic situation, including pension system, division of assets after divorce or break-up of informal partnership, alimony system, legal status of civil and informal partnerships as well as women’s situation in such partnerships.

 

During the Committee debate over Poland’s report (Oct. 22), the government was asked a number of questions related to the report’s content and earlier written answers to the Committee’s additional questions. The questions addressed at the delegation representing the government during the session, in the order of the Convention’s articles, covered the following issues (among others):

• The government’s failure to implement individual recommendations regarding institutional solutions that promote gender equality and presented to Poland in 2007, especially the lack of legal definition of discrimination against women compliant with the CEDAW, the method of collecting statistical data by gender and taking into account intersectionality and gender mainstreaming mechanisms;

• Reasons why Poland failed to ratify the Council of Europe convention on preventing discrimination against women,

• Anti-gender campaign led by conservative and traditionalist forces as well as the government’s counter-acts against its effects; what specific steps are being taken to eliminate prejudicial gender stereotypes;

• Implementation of slider-containing electoral lists;

• School manuals, masculine and feminine vocational education, education on human sexuality;

• Gender-based discrimination on the labor market, including: wage gap, mechanisms to prevent sexual harassment, limited competences of the State Labor Inspection when it comes to combating gender discrimination on the labor market as well as maternal, paternity and parental leaves;

• Impact of ongoing transformation on the labor market on the situation of women (for instance replacing contracts of employment with civil law agreements;

• Women’s access to law enforcement, especially in cases of violence and sexual violence, awareness raising courses for law-enforcing institutions and judicial system;

• Legal and factual situation of groups exposed to discrimination, including Roma girls, LBT women, seniors and migrants;

• The government’s failure to implement the Committee’s recommendations of 2007 in the area of women’s reproductive rights and reproductive health, including the access to legal abortion, improved access to contraception via its refunding; the situation of teenagers and their lack of right to contraception, the impact of restrictive abortion law on the women’s situation;

• The impact of pension system reform on the situation of women.

Additionally, the Committee wanted to know:

• What was the reason behind closing down the equal rights bureau as a separate institution;

• In what way the Council of Europe convention on preventing violence against women and home abuse could violate the Constitution of Poland;

• Does Poland plan to adjust its abortion law to European standards;

• Does Poland intend to introduce legal solutions related to the situation of people living in partnerships;

• Does Poland intend to improve its legal solutions related to access to alimony fund.

During the session the Coalition for CEDAW was represented by: Anna Dzierzgowska (Feminoteka, Monitor of Education), Zofia Jabłońska (KPH, PTPA), Martyna Łysakiewicz (Trans-Fusion Foundation), Aleksandra Solik (KARAT Coalition), Karolina Więckiewicz (Federation for Women and Family Planning).

Oct. 20, 2014

 

  • Meeting of the Coalition for CEDAW related to the 59. Session of the CEDAW Committee

The meeting of the Coalition for CEDAW on participation of its representatives in the 59. Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) took place on Sep. 19. The main item on the agenda was to discuss all issues related to developing a joint position to be presented to the Committee members during their meeting with NGOs. During the meeting priorities and guidelines regarding the document were established, together with guidelines for further cooperation. It has also been decided that the Session will be attended by: Karolina Więckiewicz (Federation for Women and Family Planning), Martyna Łysakiewicz (Trans-Fusion Foundation), Agnieszka Grzybek (Foundation for Equality and Emancipation STER) and Aleksandra Solik (KARAT Coalition).

In addition, two other members of the Coalition – Anna Dzierzgowska and Zofia Jabłońska – will participate under the Global to Local program by International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific.

October, 2014

 

  • Alternative report available on the CEDAW Committee’s Website

The final version of the Alternative Report on implementing by Poland the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women compiled by an unformal Coalition for CEDAW as a part of the project carried out thanks to support of Open Society Institute is available on the CEDAW Committee Website.

More on compiling the alternative report on the projects’ website “CEDAW in Poland”

September 2014