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Description
The problem addressed by this project is the unequal treatment of women in the health professions and their discrimination in the workplace. According to a 2019 study by the Safe at Work Coalition, people employed in health care are at particular risk for violence in the workplace (as many as 76% of these people have encountered mobbing). On the other hand, our foundation''s ‘We matter’ survey conducted in 2021 showed that only 10% of women working in medical surgical specialties have not faced discrimination in their workplace. 48% of those surveyed expressed the need to receive legal support, and 45% to take action against discrimination and violence in the workplace. The phenomenon of discrimination against women in Polish health care was also studied by the bml.pl (Being a Young Doctor) portal. This research shows that discrimination against women in the medical community is widespread in Poland, and that most of those surveyed first experienced it during university studies. As part of the project, we provide legal and psychological consultations for women working in medical surgical specialties who experience discrimination, harassment or mobbing in their workplace. Most of the advice is on how to respond in situations of abuse by a supervisor, employer or employees. We are developing a handbook for women working in health care, preparing a website and a conference.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was to increase knowledge and better understand the principles of human rights and equal treatment by people (1) exposed to discrimination and (2) standing guard over the principles of equal treatment – direct recipients.
The problem we diagnosed was/is the unequal treatment of women in surgical specialties and their discrimination in the workplace.
Violence at work particularly affects medical workers - according to research by the Safe at Work Coalition in 2019, as many as 76% of people employed in healthcare have encountered mobbing - which is the highest result of all industries.
As people working in surgical specialties, we are directly interested in the problem. The phenomenon of discrimination was one of the premises for establishing the Foundation. We wanted a broader analysis of the problem and taking action to prevent discrimination. In 2021, we decided - as a Foundation - to conduct a survey and publish the flagship results regarding discrimination in surgical specialties.
The Foundation launched legal and psychological support for those under its care. Most of the advice concerned how to react in the event of abuse by a superior/employer/employee. However, we saw from the conducted research and available data that the scale of the problem is very large and discrimination is a serious problem in Polish medicine.
In the framework of activities 1-2, we focused on women who had experienced discrimination in their lives, providing them with psychological support and legal advice. Counselling could be used during scheduled shifts or by reporting such a need by e-mail at a different time. The results developed in the framework of activity 3 served both the recipients of the project and all interested parties. We created a subpage dedicated to equal treatment, which included, among others, an anti-discrimination guide dedicated to women, graphic materials and links to reliable information on research, studies by other organisations/specialists, and support clinics. The aim of the conference (activity 4) was to increase awareness not only among women exposed to discrimination, but also among people who should stand guard over the principles of equal treatment - decision-makers and employers.
The DIRECT recipients of the project were people (1) exposed to discrimination and (2) standing guard over the principles of equal treatment.
(1) According to the Foundation''s Statute, the main group of direct recipients are women working in surgical specialties. Women who have encountered discrimination and mobbing and need legal and/or psychological assistance.
(2) The group of recipients of some activities were all women working in medicine - we care about disseminating knowledge about equal treatment and promoting good practices.
The INDIRECT recipients will be all people who have read the materials we have prepared and distributed and/or will play the recording from the conference.
Results of the project:
10 months of psychological support on-call
10 months of legal support on-call
1 guide developed
1 www subpage
package of 20 infographics to use
1 conference
2908 conference participants and people who played the recording
1 conference recording