Report reveals extent of social exclusion in Poland

Unemployment among older citizens, insufficient help for children from poorer families and an internet divide between able and disabled people are the main findings of a new report from the Social Watch NGO.

“Poverty and Social Exclusion in Poland” consists of over a dozen articles prepared by academics from various fields of expertise.

According to Pawel Kubicki of the Institute of Social Economics, by 2035, the percentage of senior citizens in comparison to the rest of the population will have risen from 13.9 to 23.2 percent.

Nevertheless he notes that the level of employment for elder citizens is lower in Poland than in other EU countries, especially with regards to women.

In his opinion, delaying the age of retirement could be crucial in increasing the possibilities for women (in Poland, the age of retirement is 60 for women, 65 for men).

Meanwhile, Professor Elzbieta Tarkowska from the PAN Institute of Philosophy says that poorer families are not receiving sufficient help in making the most of the educational system. Amongst various problems, she noted that the lowest level of attendance at kindergartens was in the countryside and small towns, namely in areas with the greatest poverty.

Piotr Olech from the Forum for Combating Homelessness holds that 35.5 percent of people in Poland live in bad or very bad conditions. He called for major investment in new housing blocks, not least with regards to social housing.

Finally, Dominik Batorski from the University of Warsaw, has accessed that those without internet knowledge are in an increasingly weaker position. Amongst several factors, Batorski noted that firms are recruiting staff through the internet to a much larger degree.

Likewise Batorski drew attention to the fact that the number of disabled people that use the internet (19 percent) is disproportionately low compared to the rest of the population. He postulated that improved access for the disabled could extend horizons for finding employment. (nh/pg)

source: PAP