Katarzyna Kotula at the Women's Congress: either we will deliver human rights issues, or the right wing will sweep us off the board

Women's Congress started on Saturday in the Ergo Arena hall on the border of Gdańsk and SopotSunday is the second and last day of the event.

Several hundred participants took part, including: presidents of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, marshal of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska or Danuta Wałęsa. According to the organizers, nearly 300 people accepted the invitation to the Congress as panelists. 60 panels, 70 stands, five exhibitions and 30 workshops were organized.

This year's slogan of the Congress is “The World According to Women”.

The award of the 16th Congress of Women was received by Danuta Wałęsa on Sunday afternoon.

– This is an absolutely fantastic meeting, because we do not treat this meeting as a celebration, but in fact there are a lot of working conversations. We formulate demands. It is with great regret that I must say that 16 years ago we formulated 100 demands. And unfortunately, very few of them were implemented – said the co-organizer of the event, prof. Magdalena Środa.

As she added, “this time the congress is coming with three strong bills.” – These are parities on electoral lists, this is the Act on equal pay for equal work and this is the Act on quotas in management boards – she mentioned. – We are constantly fighting for women's reproductive rights. We are constantly fighting for equal education. We deal with economics, economics and international affairs, said Środa.

On Sunday, a panel was held with the participation of three members of the government: Katarzyna Kotula (ministers for equality), Barbara Nowacka (minister of national education) and Hanna Wróblewska (minister of culture and national heritage).

Kotula said that the danger for the government was “an attempt to sideline the human rights aspects.” In her opinion, the greatest emphasis is placed on the ministries of force, especially when “we are talking about the war in Ukraine or when there is destabilization in the Middle East.” She emphasized that the government's task is also to fulfill all promises in the area of ​​human rights and law. – Either we get these issues across, or in three years the right wing will wipe us out – she said.

She added that the coalition agreement, which – as she said – was “born in pain”, failed to include the decriminalization of abortion and civil partnerships. She explained that two government projects on registered partnerships and an introductory act have been prepared. Kotula pointed out that in terms of LGBTQ rights, “we are going in the right direction.” – My task is to pass the bill through the Sejm and Senate. Regardless of whether the president signs it, she announced.

When asked about the promises fulfilled so far, Nowacka pointed to the separation of school boards from parties, the reduction of the core curriculum, and the employment of more psychologists in schools. She added that teachers' salaries had increased. She assured that health education will be introduced from the next school year. – There will be no strange subject “education for family life”, but there will be proper health education, about mental and sexual life, diet, exercise and basic medical care – she announced. And she reminded that from September 1, 2025, there will be one hour of religion in schools.

Wróblewska, in turn, said that her ministry had managed to “end propaganda in the public media.” – There is no longer this false propaganda that increases blood pressure and spoils public debate – she said. She added that the act on social security for artists is “in its final stages.” She also pointed to the restoration of competitions in cultural institutions for director positions as her success. – If without competitions, then in a very transparent way – she added.