By M
A recent post on /r/MensRights, and an article on on the http://theantifeminist.com/ pondered on whether the public opinion was indeed shifting to be more sympathetic towards the MRM, and the latter linked, as evidence, to the comments section of a Guardian article entitled Polish feminism is no longer ridiculed. The comments were indeed largely opposed to the author’s suggestion that Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, should force a 50% women electoral quota, instead of backing off and requiring only 35%. But being somewhat acquainted with Poland’s particular history of gender relations, and its current sociopolitical climate, I found the article to be even more fascinating. One could say, the same old story, but different. Here is what the author thought to be an honest justification for her discriminatory requirements:
Together, the laws may bring about real change. Poland has one of the lowest proportions of women in the labour market in Europe (53%, compared with the EU average of about 60%). Lack of accessible childcare is a major factor. Workplace discrimination is widespread. The wage gap, now broadly discussed in the media, is about 23%. The last to be hired, the first to be fired, more likely to be stuck with uncertain, short-term employment with no benefits, women have clearly been losers in Poland’s turn to free market economy. Young women lose their jobs when pregnant, older women are pushed out of their jobs and asked to retire. Prospects for a decent pension may be grim for all, due to financial and demographic crises, but they are far grimmer for women, who not only earn less, but retire five years earlier then men (60 and 65 respectively). If enough women can leave toddlers in nursery schools and head to work, and if enough women can get elected and press for gender justice, at least some of this might change.
Now for some background: after WW2, Poland, like many other countries on the wrong side (east) of Europe were forced into a communist regime sponsored by the ol’ USSR. But Poland’s opposition to this political coercion was arguably one of the strongest out of all the so called satellite states. It was partly due to the religiousness of the population, and culminated into the Solidarity movement, contributing to the crumbling of the Soviet block. What happened thereafter was not unique, and could be observed in most of Eastern Europe: massive unemployment, a fragile economy, important emigration and bleak future prospects. But, contrary to a few ex-communist countries, like Russia, whose population somewhat regretted the “glorious” days, most people in Poland still prefered this socioeconomic disaster to the authoritarian government that preceded it. The anticommunist sentiment was strong, so strong in fact that the leading political party still had the punishment of criminal communist officials on their agenda.
Why is this so important? Communism was the gender equality utopia many feminists dream about, if the lowest common denominator is a desirable goal. Men and women had equal rights, equal enrollment rates in schools, equal job opportunities and, according to most, an equally difficult life. Healthcare was freely available, abortion encouraged, marital disputes always fair (it is quite easy to split zero into two equal parts) and places to drop your child to be indoctrinated while you’re off to work were right around the corner. But for some baffling reason, most Poles didn’t want that. So when the red regime ended, and the communist party got outlawed, it is only natural that most people looked at feminism, which seemingly wanted to go back to the nightmare so many fought to get rid of, with a sense of mistrust.
So feminism was out, and women were oppressed as a result. Let’s look at the claims: 53% women on the labour market, in a union average of 60%. Seeing as Poland had not so long ago a very high unemployment rate, this is hardly surprising. The other quotes are just as misleading: lack of accessible childcare (as opposed to all other accessible social services?) the wage gap (taken of course as money earned yearly, which is then on par with the rest of the western world) the fact women retire earlier (companies are forcing women to retire and men have the “privilege” to work until 65) and all sort of generic comments not backed up by any numbers or research (women hired last and fired first). In short, complete disregard for context, whether political, social, economic or statistical. Not present in the excerpt above is the usual blame on the Catholic Church, with the simultaneous refusal to acknowledge that women in this society are even more religious than men, and a large number is against abortion, happy with the idea of becoming a stay-at-home mother, and otherwise couldn’t care less about all the “injustices” mentioned here. Once again, we see feminists trying to drag these women out to work against their will, because of a special care for women’s “choices”.
But things seem to be changing. The younger generation has forgotten or simply hasn’t lived through the hardships of the past. Tuned to western media and culture, they have accepted the foreign misandric messages. That is why feminism is no longer ridiculed, but it is still in a very odd situation: between older women who were raised under a regime that basically claimed total equality in outcome was the ultimate goal, but who were told at church abortion is criminal and they should be good mothers, and younger who may still be influenced by the advice of their grandmothers, but who absorb the American claim they are being (or even have been) oppressed, the dogma is still weak but evidently getting stronger. Let’s not forget Poland’s northern neighbor, Sweden, which is still now a land of emigration for the only European country that had a positive economic growth in 2009. When things get better, some may want to return. Let’s just hope they don’t come back with a certain poisonous souvenir.
