Will childless Polish women work longer? “This is discrimination and stigmatization of women”

This petition heated up Poland. Its author proposes that childless women should retire only at the age of 65. This is to be the first step towards the gradual equalization of the retirement age for women and men. Meanwhile, the solution proposed by the originator, who is anonymous to the public, may violate the Constitution, according to experts.

– The idea of ​​extending the retirement age only for women without children raises serious constitutional and social doubts – notes legal advisor Marta Kopeć from the Kopeć Zaborowski Law Firm in an interview with “Wprost”.

Increasing the retirement age – anonymous petition

Let us recall that on October 7, 2025, a petition regarding retirement benefits was published in the Public Information Bulletin of the Chancellery of the President. The author requests that the President take a legislative initiative “aimed at the gradual equalization of the retirement age of women and men” and proposes that, in the first stage, the retirement age of childless women be raised to 65 years.

The document was forwarded to the legal unit of the KPRP. The applicant did not consent to the disclosure of his data, therefore his name or the name of the entity remains confidential.

Lawyer: “This bears signs of discrimination and stigmatization of women”

The expert emphasizes that introducing such a distinction may violate the principle of equality before the law referred to in Art. 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland.

– Citizens cannot be differentiated in terms of their rights and obligations solely due to the fact that they have or do not have children. This type of solution bears the hallmarks of discrimination and stigmatization of women who, for various reasons – often beyond their control – did not become mothers – says the lawyer.

Bull pensions only for women?

As the expert notes, supporting families and pro-family policy are an important goal of the state, but they cannot lead to punishing those who do not have children.

– The state should strengthen and support parents in raising children, and not introduce solutions that in practice divide women into “better” and “worse.” It is also absurd that the idea applies only to women – leaving men completely aside – notes attorney Kopeć, recalling the memorable tax for childless men from the times of the Polish People’s Republic.

– Let us remember that in Poland there was once a tax for children without children, the so-called bullish. This tax was abolished in 1973 after social and economic changes. At that time, its effectiveness in motivating marriage and increasing the fertility rate was not confirmed. Moreover, this tax was criticized, pointing out discrimination, social stigmatization, and emphasizing that it is a penalty for lifestyle – says the expert.

– It is understandable that the state may strive to increase the fertility rate because it is in its long-term demographic interest. However, even then it cannot arbitrarily and unjustifiably differentiate the situation of women and men. Otherwise, the state itself undermines the foundation of social justice on which it should be based, says the lawyer.

Expert: “It can’t be related to having children”

The author of the petition points to demography and the growing load on the system as the background to his demand. She justifies that women live on average 7.5 years longer, which means a longer period of receiving retirement benefits, and the lack of children eliminates the “social reasons” for early retirement. At the same time, he emphasizes that the growing burden on ZUS and the falling birth rate require, in his opinion, “bold decisions” regarding the gradual equalization of the retirement age for women and men.

As the expert notes, the issue of raising the retirement age for women is an important topic that needs to be considered, but “childlessness” cannot be a determinant here.

– Women now live longer and often in better health than men, which may be a rational argument in the discussion about equalizing the retirement age – but it certainly cannot be related to the fact of having children. State policy in this area should be well-thought-out, coherent and, above all, equal towards all citizens, says Mr. Kopeć firmly.

Poles say “no”!

The latest SW Research survey for “Wprost” shows that as many as 58.3 percent respondents do not support the idea of ​​raising the retirement age for childless women. In turn, less than 22 percent respondents believe that childless women should work longer, and almost every fifth respondent (19.7%) has no opinion on this matter.

The survey also reveals clear differences in the opinions of women and men. As many as 68.3% of people did not like the proposal contained in the petition. women, while only 16 percent of them support it. Among men, the percentage of votes for “no” was lower, but still significantly higher than the group of supporters of the idea – 47.1 percent and 47.1 percent, respectively. compared to 28.4 percent