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Polish Women Resent EU-Pushed Gov't Program Discouraging Stay-at-Home Moms

By Elizabeth O'Brien

WARSAW, August 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Polish women are expressing their indignation at a new EU-funded government campaign that discriminates against stay-at-home moms by pressuring women to be self-sufficient wage earners outside the home, Polish Radio (PR) reports.

Financed by the EU Structural Funds, the Polish government is launching a massive campaign to encourage women to work outside the home. Beginning in September, the "Woman Fulfilled in Business" campaign will launch TV ads, documentaries, billboards and a website. One of the posters to be put up around cities compares a self-satisfied, independent workingwoman to one who is futilely "waiting for a fairy tale prince".

Women's rights activist Inga Kaluzynska is disturbed by the heavily biased message that the government is pushing. Reminded of the communist era, she noted that the campaign slaps stay-at-home mothers with a negative image.

"This ideological project reminds me of socialist times," said Kaluzynska, as quoted in PR. "Communists also wanted to send women on tractors. Women are free to choose a lifestyle but this program will only deepen negative stereotypes of women who stay at home and it will undermine the value of family life."

The campaign is "simply harmful to womanhood," she continued. In addition, "it is symptomatic that this project is welcome by leftist ideologues and abortion enthusiasts who are by definition prejudiced against natural role models."

"As a mother and a feminist, I don't find this project women-friendly."

Similarly, lawyer Joanna Potocka of the Adam Smith Center described the government campaign as "discriminatory" and "unfair" towards stay-at-home mothers whose hard work should be "acknowledge and respected". They should not be portrayed as "sitting in the kitchen" all day.

Indicating that the campaign is agenda-driven, Potocka summed up the situation, saying, "Women in Poland have the highest participation in self-employment in the whole of European Union. Therefore it seems that this campaign is badly targeted, as it is addressing a non-existent problem."

"Polish women are not helpless," she declared.

"The campaign discriminates against one lifestyle and therefore limits the freedom of women," Potocka concluded, "Working outside of home, staying at home, or combining the two should be treated equally by the government."

Related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Successful Female Author Says Working Mothers Short-Change Children
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/apr/06042605.html

Ontario Gov't Panel Urges Increasing Unfairness to Stay-at-Home Moms
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/dec/00120603.html

Canada's Tax Law Penalizes Families with Stay-at-Home Moms
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/apr/04040806.html

U.S. Bill Offers Tax Relief For Stay-at-Home Moms
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/mar/07030809.html

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