March 8 is International Woman's Day 2022
This recognition of women's rights goes back to March 8, 1910. Its idea originates from strikes staged by women in North American and Europe. It was and is a very colorful and favorite day of appreciation in Poland even today. Colorful because ladies are presented with bouquets of the most beautiful and heaven scented flowers for which Poland is famous. Women in Polish tradition were and still are treated with respect. It is not outlandish for a Polish gentleman to kiss a lady on the hand. What is especially remembered today is the extraordinary role Polish women preformed in Polish history.
Both in the 20 c. as well as in centuries past, it was often the Polish mother and wife who stood upright as head of household. This is because much of Polish history engaged the men in defensive warfare. During the partitions of Poland by the Prussians, Russians and Austrians-Polish military officers were imprisoned or captured and sent away deep into Russian or Prussian slave labor camps. It was the Polish woman who carried on to sustain and protect her family. This role repeated itself during both world wars. Helena Paderewska, wife of Ignacy Jan Paderewski founded the Polish White Cross which trained nurses and attended to the needs of victims of war. Polish women military (pol. Pomocnicza Sluzba Kobiet) served on all the fronts of WWII. In our times, Anna Walentynowicz, a co-founder of the Solidarity trade movement in Gdansk is a modern day heroine of Polish women's suffrage and equal rights struggles. We fondly pay tribute to our own PMA women employees and for that matter, trailblazers like Sabina Logisz, closest assistant to PMA legendary Director Mieczyslaw Haiman! We wish all the ladies of the world Happy Women's Day! May You be appreciated, respected and most of all loved!
Beatrix Czerkawski
Happy International Women’s Day!
Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji Międzynarodowego Dnia Kobiet!
Photographs from the Collections of the Polish Museum of America
Fotografie archiwalne z kolecji Muzeum Polskiego w Ameryce
#internationalwomensday #womensrights #annawalentynowicz #womenofsolidaritypoland #helenapaderewska #sabinalogisz
