Poland scraps ‘gender training’ course for military

The class had sparked a storm of criticism from the right-wing opposition and reportedly caused discontent among troops

The Polish Defense Ministry has withdrawn a supplementary training course on “gender perspectives in military operations” after it drew sharp criticism from right-wing politicians.

The ministry said on Monday the program had been scrapped by Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, who appeared to blame his predecessors for its introduction in the first place. The training “may [have been] organized based on the decision of the previous minister,” Mariusz Blaszczak, the ministry’s statement said.  

“The topic of supplementary training regarding gender was proposed by the chairwoman of the Council for Women’s Military Service and approved by the defense ministry’s human resources department,” it added.  

The existence of the program became public earlier this month, when local media reported on the issue. The gender training course has reportedly caused discontent among soldiers, who claimed the introduction of the optional program left them “surprised” and “frustrated.” 

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“Many of us believe the army should focus on preparing for military operations, not on issues that some in the community perceive as ideological. The unit is already saying that this is unnecessary and that such content has nothing to do with daily service,” an anonymous serviceman told news outlet Blask.  

The right-wing opposition did not miss the opportunity to mock the defense minister, suggesting he was too late to get on the ‘woke’ train, particularly given the actions of the current US administration. Under President Donald Trump, the US has axed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, including within the military.  

“When the entire world, with the US at the front, is moving away from ‘woke’ culture…Kosiniak-Kamysz is introducing such inventions. I’m waiting for him to come up with the idea of biodegradable missiles or electric tanks,” said Andrzej Sliwka, a lawmaker with the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party. 

Blaszczak, the ex-defense minister, also touched upon the gender training debacle, pointing fingers at the US and accusing his successor of bowing to the pressure from the EU. “We cannot give in to such blackmail by such irrational people, who are trying to push the United States out of Europe,” he said during a press conference.