TAKING WOMEN'S RIGHTS SERIOUSLY:WOMEN'S STRUGGLE FOR A NEW"SOCIAL CONTRACT" IN POLAND

The article traces the trajectory of the struggle for woman's rights in Po-land from 1989 to the present. It argues that the democratic transition successfully shaped the foundations of a liberal regime, but was accompanied from the outset by an agreement between the government and the Catholic Church that limited re-productive rights and led to a re-traditionalization of gender roles. This context is crucial to understanding the Constitutional Tribunal's interpretation of the constitu-tion, which reinforced a kind of sexual contract, seeking to domesticate women. The change of government in 2015 significantly weakened guarantees of the rule of law and further curtailed reproductive rights, prompting mass protests and the mobili-zation of democratic opposition. This article posits that the overthrow of the illiberal regime in the recent parliamentary elections marks the beginning of a new social contract in Poland, in which woman's rights are taken seriously.