War against ‘genderism’ in Poland

Abstract

by Agnieszka Graff

In the fall of 2013 the word ‘gender’ hit the headlines of all
major Polish newspapers and TV stations, much to the befuddlement
of people involved in gender studies. Heretofore an obscure
foreign concept known only to specialists, gender was suddenly
omnipresent in the tabloids, on Facebook and in the blogosphere.
It was the focus of endless and heated debate for several months.
Most importantly, ‘gender ideology’ was also mentioned weekly
in Poland’s Roman Catholic parishes – consistently demonized in
sermons as a threat to the family. In the article I offer the basic
facts about the campaign, reconstructing both anti-gender initiatives
and the reactions of the liberal and feminist left. Finally, I
suggest how this phenomenon fits into the broader context of a
global backlash against gender equality.