We are four years after the Women’s Strike. So far, nothing has changed—women still cannot decide about their own bodies, as the government continues to block the right to safe and legal abortion. It ignores the rights of queer people, withdraws social support for war refugees, and continues its lawless policies at the Belarusian border.
That’s why we once again took part in the Manifa protest. We were there with our speeches and concrete demands:
- We want equal access to childcare—it cannot be a luxury!
2. We demand effective protection against violence! – We experience sexual and domestic violence, but the system that should protect us is failing.
3. We want equal access to benefits! – Uncertainty about the 800+ payments for migrant families and restricted access to social benefits leave many of us in constant distress.
4. Equal rights for migrant mothers! – Barriers in securing parental and child support rights particularly affect Ukrainian women with Polish partners. We refuse to be invisible in the Polish system!
5. We want legal residency without years of waiting! – Residency procedures take months, even years, especially for people from outside the EU!
6. A colleague at work told me, “I live in fear that I will soon be illegal here.” – Thousands of us are waiting for documents, unable to visit family, travel, or plan our future. It shouldn’t be like this!
7. Enough with labor rights violations! – Migrant women still face exploitation, dishonest employers, and harassment. The uncertainty of finding work, proving ourselves to employers, and learning the language is overwhelming. Even when we succeed, we remain in limbo due to the long wait for necessary work documents. Employment agencies push us into near-slavery conditions. We have the right to fair work!
