1. Stereotypes Still Alive
Participants in the discussions emphasized that gender role stereotypes for women and men are still deeply rooted in our culture.
“As men — and this includes my generation — we received the message that we must be responsible for our future family. We must take care of it. We must earn a lot of money. It’s our duty, and we are held accountable for it. We are considered failures if we don’t fulfill this role.” – Andrzej Kubisiak, Deputy Director, Polish Economic Institute
“Gender norms act as a sort of model for us. We’re used to them and see the world through their lens. We feel comfortable following them because they simplify our daily functioning. Gender norms are deeply ingrained in society — and they’re not easy to get rid of.” – Anna Zaroda-Dąbrowska, CEO, Diversity Hub
Deeply rooted social scripts about how one should behave as a woman or a man also shape how we perceive ourselves. This important insight, shared by Anna Zaroda-Dąbrowska, opens up the discussion on how mental patterns turn into psychological barriers that hinder or limit the ability to pursue professional ambitions.
“We’re not only victims of being judged through the lens of gender stereotypes — we also begin to see ourselves that way. From the very beginning, we’re told that you must be a good mother, you must be gentle, kind, and self-sacrificing for ‘higher values,’ which, of course, are children and family — and sometimes your husband or partner. You start thinking about yourself in the same terms, and that’s why [women] withdraw [from striving for higher positions],” – Anna Zaroda-Dąbrowska, CEO, Diversity Hub
2. Gender Equality Needs Men
Another key topic raised during the discussion was the importance of involving men in gender equality efforts. Panelists from various sessions emphasized the value of engaging men as potential “allies to the cause,” while also highlighting the benefits of gender equality for everyone.
“Men are missing from the diversity and inclusion conversation. We should be doing this together. From my perspective, it’s really important to involve men in these projects and to engage with them from a different angle as well.” – Andrzej Kubisiak, Deputy Director, Polish Economic Institute
“When we want to fight gender inequality, we must do it together [women and men] and show how it affects the future of both genders. We need to understand that gender equality is a win-win situation; it benefits every one of us. It’s not about promoting one group at the expense of another — we can all win.” – Andrew Kubisiak continues .
According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, women and men in Central and Eastern Europe were projected to achieve equal economic, legal, and social status, and equal opportunities, in 107 years. Current data for Poland shortens that to 60 years. Let’s work together to make gender equality a reality sooner than that — because I’d like to experience it in my lifetime.
Experts pointed out that engaging in gender equality efforts is sometimes met with criticism from others. For example, men who decide to take paternity leave often face negative reactions from coworkers.
“Men returning from parental leave — even when it was funded by their employer — while caring for small children were called ‘pussy.’ I’m sorry for the language, but that’s a direct quote,” – Anna Zaroda-Dąbrowska, CEO of Diversity Hub, reported, recalling the experience of working with some of Diversity Hub’s clients. “This, too, is part of the patterns I’ve been referring to. These stereotypes shape how we judge people and assume (…) what role they should play in society.”
3. Pay Transparency and Gender Quotas
Another important topic in the gender equality discussion was pay transparency.Elzbieta Niezgódka, Attorney at Law, Niezgódka Kancelaria Adwokatów i Radców Prawnych, pointed out that companies that choose to disclose salary information often share only general salary ranges, which still leaves employees uncertain as to whether they are being paid fairly. According to the expert, a better solution would be to specify exact salary levels assigned to specific roles.
“Salary information should first appear on our internal [company] platforms. But the question is: should we disclose detailed information about everyone’s pay? Or should we refrain from doing so when there is only one person in a given position? Publishing specific salary amounts would be the ideal solution, but we need to start somewhere — providing more precise salary ranges for specific roles is a good first step toward greater pay transparency,” – states Elizabeth Niezgódka, Attorney at Law, Niezgódka Kancelaria Adwokatów i Radców Prawnych.
Experts in the field of D&I also discussed the challenges large companies face in light of the Women on Boards Directive recently adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
According to Agnieszka Dzięgielewska-Jończyk, Branch Manager & General Counsel, Nordea Poland:
“We have to start somewhere to ensure that the underrepresented gender — whether men or women — reaches 33%.”
She further explained:
“EU Member States can implement the Directive in different ways. In Poland, there’s currently an ongoing discussion on how we intend to apply it. The first draft assumed rather high requirements.”
Regardless of how each country transposes the Directive, the requirement for board-level positions is that the underrepresented gender must account for no less than 33%. When asked “Why is the 33% threshold so important?”, the question was answered by Katarzyna Gaweł, Head of DEI, Ringier Axel Springer Poland & Forbes Women podcast co-host.
“30% is the critical point when the voice of the minority starts to be heard and begins to make an impact. If there’s only one woman among four board members — that’s 25% — her voice is much less likely to resonate than if there were two women, which brings us above the 30% threshold.” – Katarzyna Gaweł.
Introducing quotas for board-level positions in companies is a topic that sparks a lot of emotion. However, as the example of Norway shows, it’s hard to expect real change without quotas and sanctions.
“Some people argue that the penalties for non-compliance are too severe — up to 10% of a company’s annual revenue. However, the example of Norway shows that without sanctions, nothing changes. They had quotas in their legislation, but until financial penalties were introduced, the number of women in company leadership did not increase.” – Agnieszka Dzięgielewska-Jończyk, Branch Manager & General Counsel, Nordea Poland.
4. When Will We Achieve Equality?
At the end of the debate, participants were asked how long it will take for Poland to achieve full gender equality. It turns out that according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, at the current rate of change, it will take 60 years. Globally, the figure is even more daunting — 134 years. Experts expressed hope that this timeline can be shortened. The moderator of the debate – Katarzyna Gaweł, Head of DEI, Ringier Axel Springer Poland & Forbes Women podcast co-host – pointed out that just a few years ago, estimates indicated that achieving gender equality in Europe — including Poland — would take 107 years.
– According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, women and men in Central and Eastern Europe were expected to have equal economic, legal, social status and equal opportunities in 107 years. Current figures for Poland point to 60 years. Let’s together make gender equality a reality sooner than 60 years from now, because I would like to experience it. – Catherine Gaweł continues.
5. Additional Resources
Watch all sessions within the “Gender balance” thematic block, led by Katarzyna Gaweł, Head of DEI, Ringier Axel Springer Poland & Forbes Women podcast co-host:
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