Women in the Polish Executive: Gender and Politics in a New Democracy

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of women political leaders around the globe, including prime ministers and members of cabinets. This tendency is not limited neither to one country nor to one cultural zone or political system. It can be identified both in advanced industrial stable democracies and developing countries with limited experience with democratic institutions. In this context the aim of the paper will be to analyse the issues of women’s both descriptive and substantive representation in national governments in Poland since 1989, when the process of political democratization has started. Discussion of the descriptive representation will include the questions of: 1. whether there has been an intensification in women’s recruitment to executive government as prime ministers, ministers and secretaries of state over the last twenty years?, 2. are there differences between right-wing and left-wing parties-led governments in women’s representation (as is evident in other countries), 3. is there a relation between the proportions of women in the parliament and in the cabinet (as in parliamentary systems ministers are recruited mainly from the ranks of elected MPs)? As far as substantive representation is concerned the problem of a relationship between the presence of women in the Polish executive and policies to promote gender equality and positive policy outcomes for women will be discussed. Does a greater amount of women in the government determine greater visibility of women’s issues, including introduction of obligatory quota system, changes in the arrangements of maternity leave, intensification of the discussion on the gender equal status act (not yet passed), etc? Additionally the role of the present Plenipotentiary for Equal Legal Status (a member of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister) and its predecessors in promoting gender equality and initiating positive political outcomes for women will be analyzed.