Women's Day – PCK collects funds to fight against the exclusion of women

Last year, the campaign focused on supporting women, refugees from Ukraine. The aim of this year's collection is to counteract the social exclusion of women and to ensure them long-term and comprehensive support.

Individuals at risk of social exclusion are those whose basic needs for survival are not met, and they also do not have equal access to opportunities and services that would allow them to lead a dignified and happy life. According to GUS data, in 2021, the extent of exclusion in Poland was over 40%. Women belong to the group of people at risk of exclusion due to more frequent experiences of social problems such as long-term unemployment, difficulties in entering and returning to the labor market, poverty, domestic violence, or wage discrimination.

This year's campaign of the Polish Red Cross "Day for Women" shows the problems Polish women face and how the Red Cross is trying to improve their quality of life. The Red Cross supports women at different stages of their lives and responds to their needs through programs directed at girls and women at risk of menstrual poverty; women who, due to economic poverty, are struggling to make ends meet and meet all the needs of their families. The Red Cross also helps seniors who, due to their age, are lonely and do not actively participate in social life.

1 in 6 girls leaves school due to a lack of hygiene products during menstruation.

Menstrual poverty affects women all over the world. Even in the most developed urban areas, it happens that female students lose the opportunity to attend classes due to a lack of access to hygiene products. This problem is often overlooked, and society perceives it as an excuse for school absences. When pads or tampons are not available, young girls use toilet paper or scraps of clothing. This significantly impacts their comfort and self-esteem. Due to absence from school, teenagers lose contact with friends and the opportunity to participate in activities that are essential for building their self-confidence, which in turn is an extremely important element of maturation. In Poland, this issue affects 1 in 6 girls.

Since 2020, the Polish Red Cross has been supporting girls and women at risk of menstrual poverty by providing pads and tampons, among others, to: schools, single mother homes, community centers, hospitals, and welfare centers. In 2021, the Red Cross joined the Period Coalition, through which it helped over 32,300 girls and women by providing them with over 618,600 pads and tampons with a total value of 101,300 PLN.

1 in 5 Polish families are single mothers raising children.

According to the Main Statistical Office, in 2022, 4.6 million Poles lived in poverty. One of the groups most at risk of exclusion due to deprivation is families with only one parent. Almost 20% of Polish families are single mothers raising children.

Women can count on assistance from the Polish Red Cross in the form of food packages, holiday packages for children (in 2021, the Red Cross issued over 437,500 packages), and school supplies (in the last year, the Red Cross provided 87,000 sets). They can benefit from care offered by the Red Cross and enroll their children in community centers, where not only will their children spend time with peers, but also participate in creative activities. The Red Cross operates 72 centers throughout Poland, attended by 2,160 children. This way, women can be professionally active and do not worry about how to provide care for their children while they are still at work.

50% of Polish seniors do not participate in social life.

For several years, Poland has been experiencing a change in demographic structure. According to data from the Main Statistical Office, people over 65 constitute about 16% of the population in Poland. By 2050, this will increase to 32.7%. Seniors are also a social group that is at risk of loneliness and living in poverty. Only in 2021, the number of extremely poor seniors was 312,000 individuals.

The Polish Red Cross has been carrying out activities for seniors for many years, allowing them to continue working through volunteering and leading an active lifestyle. The Red Cross also conducts campaigns and projects that influence the perception of seniors and aging by society, particularly children and youth, including the SeniorON program. In 2022, the Red Cross operated 17 Senior Clubs throughout the country, attended by over 500 people. Through activities, seniors, mainly senior women, actively participate in activities where they pursue their passions, meet new people, and feel needed.

Social exclusion has many faces and can affect people of different ages. Day for Women is a day when the Polish Red Cross encourages support for women. Together we can change their fate and give them a chance for a dignified and happy life.