A/HRC/41/33/Add.2 Annex Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice on its visit to Poland I. Introduction 1. The experts of the Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice, Ivana Radačić and Melissa Upreti, visited Poland from 3 to 13 December 2018 at the invitation of the Government. In accordance with the mandate of the Working Group, the objective was to gain first-hand understanding of issues related to eliminating discrimination against women in law and in practice, including efforts made, remaining challenges and promising practices. The Working Group expresses its appreciation to the Government for its cooperation before and during the visit. 2. The experts met with a broad range of central and local authorities and with representatives of women’s organizations and women’s rights experts in Warsaw, Łódź, Gdańsk and Kraków. In Warsaw, the Working Group met with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and the National Labour Inspectorate, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Justice, the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Prison Service, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, the National Police, the Office for Foreigners, the Border Guard, the Government Plenipotentiary for Civil Society and Equal Treatment, the Government Plenipotentiary for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Commissioner for Patients’ Rights, the Office of the National Broadcasting Council, judges from the Constitutional Tribunal and the Supreme Court, and members of parliament. The Working Group also met with the Commissioner for Human Rights, civil society organizations working on women’s rights, scholars and representatives of the United Nations. In Łódź, Gdańsk and Kraków, the Working Group held meetings with municipal authorities and representatives of municipal councils for equal treatment. The experts also visited a prison in Grudziądz and a high school in Kraków. The Working Group expresses its appreciation to all its interlocutors for their engagement and valuable input. II. Context 3. The political transition of Poland from over four decades of State socialism to a democratic system in 1989 was followed by serious economic challenges. Stabilization of the economy was the primary task of the first Governments, and gender equality was not prioritized on the political agenda. The rise in traditional values regarding the role of women in society, as well as the rising influence of the Catholic Church, which was widely regarded as playing a key role in the pursuit of democracy, has been reported posttransition.1 Conversely, the accession of Poland to the European Union in 2004 has led to the introduction of legislative, policy and institutional reforms on gender equality and the active participation of women’s organizations in promoting equal opportunities. 2 4. The visit of the Working Group took place at the time when Poland was celebrating 100 years of independence and women’s suffrage, Poland being one of the first countries in the world to have granted this right to women. The important role women have played in the country’s history and their contributions to many fields, including labour and science, were being highlighted and celebrated nationwide. At the same time, women’s place in 1 2 2 John Feffer, “Church and State in Poland”, Huffpost, 18 May 2016. European Parliament, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, “The policy on gender equality in Poland”, 2011.