Poland was one of the first countries in the world to grant women voting rights—introduced in 1918 amid the chaos of its recovery of independence—but this achievement has been overshadowed by nationalist narratives. The Polish state supposedly rose from the ashes of World War I with full suffrage. However, this narrative obscures a century-long struggle defined by paradoxes and visionary boldness.
Katarzyna Wężyk examines the lives and ideologies of Polish women’s rights activists in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These women fought for suffrage in a nation that did not yet exist and advocated for all kinds of emancipation in a society that demanded self-sacrifice. While their British and American counterparts challenged the “angel of the hearth,” Polish women navigated the archetype of the “Polish mother”—a figure rooted in patriotism, Catholicism, and patriarchal norms. They sought education, employment, and political rights, strategically framing their demands as civic contributions to the nation’s welfare, rather than as personal aspirations.
Many led unorthodox lives—divorcing, forming queer relationships, or pursuing independent careers—thereby defying gender norms and foreshadowing feminist thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir. Wężyk traces their intellectual evolution, from Romantic enthusiasts seeking authenticity, through to women with a Positivist focus on economic independence, and suffragettes demanding voting rights. Situating this herstory within European gender dynamics, Wężyk highlights how these women’s courage, solidarity, and strategies reshaped societal boundaries.
Katarzyna Wężyk is a Polish journalist, columnist, and podcaster whose work examines gender, politics, and social justice. She holds degrees in political science and American studies from the University of Warsaw and was a Kościuszko Foundation grant recipient at Columbia University. She has written for leading Polish outlets, including Gazeta Wyborcza and Newsweek Polska, and is the author of 2021 Grand Press Award winner Aborcja jest (Abortion Is), Kanada. Ulubiony kraj świata (Canada: The World’s Favorite Country), and Zuchwałe (Bold: Women Who Wanted More). She also hosts the podcast Historia Kobiet (Women’s History), uncovering women’s stories and overlooked contributions.
IWM Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow Ivan Krastev will moderate the discussion.
