On February 2, 2007, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued Concluding Comments to the recent periodic reports of Poland. The Commitee stated its concern that Poland had not yet enacted a comprehensive law on gender equality, and urged it to do so and to adopt a national plan to further this goal. It urged Poland to make the prevention and fight against domestic violence a priority. It said that Poland needs to provide adequate means of protection to victims of domestic violence through the issuance of restraining orders, access to shelters, and legal assistance. It recommended that Poland begin to collect data on domestic violence that is disaggregated by type of violence and by relationship of victim and perpetrator. Poland should conduct awareness-raising campaigns and undertake research projects on the causes of domestic violence, stated the Committee.Poland was also urged to strenthen its data collection on trafficking, and to monitor the implementation of measures it has taken in that area.
The Committee noted that, due to a restructuring in the health sector, that the number of health services available to women has decreased, and it urged Poland to take appropriate measures to ensure that all women, and particularly rural women, have access to health care. Rural women should also be granted better access to educational and employment opportunites. Finally, Poland must improve its ability to colllect and access data about women and human rights in Poland, so that its progress may be monitored over time.
The next report should be submitted to the Committee in 2010.
Compiled from: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw37/concludingcommentsAU/Poland_Advanced%20Unedited%20Version.pdf