HRD and anti-discrimination education – HFHR open letter

“Speaking on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, I would like to express our concern over the hostile behaviour of certain media outlets towards the Human Rights Defender, Professor Irena Lipowicz which was a reaction to her letter to the Minister of National Education regarding anti-discrimination education in pre-schools”, reads the open letter signed by HFHR’s President, Danuta Przywara.
According to the Foundation, the HRD sent her letter to the Ministry in order to emphasise the significance of anti-discrimination education. The Human Rights Defender has initiated the inter-institutional dialogue in this field acting within her constitutional and statutory purview which includes the monitoring of equality policies implementation.

“In our opinion, a pre-school curriculum which includes information about gender equality and stereotypes and attempts to ensure the actual equal treatment of men and women infringe upon neither parents’ rights nor the rights enshrined in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”, reads the letter.

In the letter, the HFHR has supported the Human Rights Defender’s actions and endorsed her assessment of the existing need of anti-discrimination education. “Attacks against the HRD, prompted by the expression of Prof. Lipowicz’s professional and objective position on an issue covered by her official competences, have raised our serious concerns”, the letter continues.