Polish Women in the Mid-1990s: Christian Democrats in a Country without a Christian Democratic Party

Abstract

This article discusses Polish attitudes toward gender in the early- to mid-1990s. It shows that during this period, Poles on the average had 'Christian democratic values,' although there were no Christian democratic parties in parliament during this period. The majority of Poles supported some type of 'social market economy,' while maintaining traditional views toward gender roles & moral issues. Polish women on the average, though, were clearly more in favor of gender equality than their male counterparts. Age & years of education were also important factors in determining attitudes toward gender roles, while the Church was not as influential as expected. Further, the gender gap was largest among those with a middle level education & smallest among those with a low level of education.