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Introduction…
broiledinarelationshipofconcern,3traditionallyfulfillingtheirobligations
andmeetingexpectationsascribedtotheirrole.Itisfullyjustified,therefore,
tocelebratethehundredthanniversaryofregainingindependentstatehood
in2018,aswellasthecentenaryofthecivilrightswonbyPolishwomen.
Instantly,however,areflectionappeared:Wastheequalrightsofwomen
tantamounttocreatingconditionsallowingthem,onanequalfootingwith
men,tousetheirstatutoryrightsandfreedoms?Ineachandeverysociety,there
isaconstantstrugglebetweenconflictingforcesandinterests.Theinterestsof
womenarenotalwayssynonymouswiththeinterestsofmen,andtheinterests
ofwomenfromtheprivilegedclasseswiththeinterestsofwomenfromlower
socialstrata.Anexamplecanbethesphereofhealthcare,especiallyconcern-
ingreproductivehealth.4AdvertisementcampaignforViagra–the“bluepill”
improvingmen’ssexualpotency,produced20yearsago,whichissaidtohave
revolutionizedsexuallifearoundtheworld–doesnotgohandinhandwith
theadvertisementofacontraceptivepill(stillanachronistic).Whatismore,
untiltoday,acontraceptivepillformenhasnotbeeninvented,eventhough
workhasbeengoingonformanyyears.Incorporationsmanagedbymen,
thereisnoeconomicinterestinthesearchforadrugthatwouldlimitthe
sexualfreedomofmen,imposeonthemthedutytocontroltheirownsexual
potencyandresponsibilityforprocreation.Thisresponsibilityrestsalmost
exclusivelyonwomen,andtheconsequencesofthelackofcontraceptionand
sexualeducationinPolandarebornebywomen,mostlythosefromthelower
socialclasses.Issuesregardingbasicwomen’srights,theirdignity,forexample,
accesstoepiduralanaesthesiaduringchildbirth,alsodifersbasedonsocial
class(accesstoprivatemedicalcareorlackthereof).
Creatingacomprehensivenarrativethatwouldencompassallfemales,as
opposedtoallmales,isdifcult,butnotunfounded.5Withinthecategoryof
womentherearesubcategories(“minoritieswithintheminority”),forexample
womenandgirlswithdisabilities,singlesmothers,6especiallythoseraising
childrenwithdisabilities,caregiversofelderlyfamilymemberswithdisabilities.
3SeeGórnikowska-Zwolak,2015.
4SeeGórnikowska-Zwolak,2009.
5SeeMayerHacker,1982.“WomanisaNiggeroftheWorld”–aclearslogan,andatthe
sametimethetitleofthesongwrittenbyJohnLennonandYokoOnoin1969(fromtherecord
SomeTimeinNewYorkCityof1972)drawsattentiontothesubordinationofwomeninthe
masculine,patriarchalworld.
6Thesemothersareoftenclassifiedassingleparents,parentsraisingachild/childrenalone.
Butthetermsingleparentcanbeandisoftenmisleading,asistheconceptofaparent.The“pa-
rent”categoryisgender-neutral.Whataretheproportionsofmothersandfathersraisingtheir
childrenalone?Howdoesthematerialstatusofmothersandfatherschangeafterdivorce?Who
usestheparentalleave?Whose(whichparent’s?)careerisdeterminedbyhavingachild?–this
typeofquestionsrevealtheissueofgender(culturally-shapedexpectationstowardswomenand
men),whichdisappearsfromourviewwhenweusethetermparent.
