Poland

Christianity was established in Poland by Mieszko in 966; in 1569, Poland became a kingdom in the Union of Lublin, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which collapsed in 1795. Then, for more than 120 years, Poland was not on the map; Russia, Austria, and Prussia governed the territory. The Second Polish Republic was established following World War I, but then Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union occupation followed in World War II. Years later the socialist People's Republic of Poland emerged within the Eastern Bloc. Polish language, education, and culture were often quashed under occupation, thus women's significance in the family was critical to maintain the Polish cultural heritage. The Third Polish Republic was established in 1989 when communism was overthrown. Poland is a member of the European Union, North Atlanta Treaty Organization, United Nations, World Trade Organization, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Fifty-one percent of Poland's population of nearly 39 million people is female. Poland's population grew at a rate of 1 percent per year from 1970 to 1984, and then declined due to a lower fertility rate. In the mid-2000s, Poland's economic crisis mimicked that of others within the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, yet Poland is one of the more robust transformed economic states. Younger generations compete for education and economic opportunity. Women's life expectancy is approximately 76 years, compared to 68 years for men, primarily due to lifestyle behaviors associated with tobacco use and alcohol consumption.

The economic and social transformation of Poland from communism to a democratic, privatized market economy has had mixed results. Gender differences continue to be accentuated, and some benefits for women, including access to subsidized childcare and paid maternity leave, have diminished. In the late 1970s, more than 70 percent of Polish women were gainfully employed while maintaining household duties, putting a strain on their ability to balance “women's two jobs” because of role competition and unsatisfactory state assistance. Class issues remain predominant; lower-class women can more easily hold a coprovider status along with a domestic role, whereas this challenges the social status of upper class women.

Partner relationships have been typically egalitarian, with the head of household described as that person who disposes of the income of both providers. Divorce is less common than in other former communist countries, likely because of the country's Catholic roots. Single mothers tend to retain custody of children. Birth control was typically limited to abortion due to lack of other options; abortion was more restricted in 1993, however. Increasing grassroots democracy efforts included challenges to church doctrine on birth control in the 1990s.