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Seven Questions on Human Rights, Institutional Leadership, and Democratic Resilience in Poland with Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram

  • Ana Lejava & Lily Bethay

Sylwia Gregorczyk-Abram took office as Poland’s Commissioner for Human Rights in July of this year. She previously worked as a human rights lawyer defending judicial independence, representing victims of violence, trafficking survivors, and civic activists, and documenting war crimes in Ukraine. 

Gregorczyk-Abram co-founded the Free Courts Foundation, the Justice Defense Committee, and is part of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security’s (GIWPS) network of women changemakers around the world. 

She has been recognized repeatedly for her work, including being named among Poland’s most influential women, in a field where women remain underrepresented in senior judicial and constitutional roles.

It was a long and arduous process to run a campaign for this position, but she said she was inspired by a group of global women leaders GIWPS convened in Bellagio, Italy, who held the belief that “leadership is about stepping forward when you can make a difference, not waiting until you feel completely ready.” 

Read more about Gregorczyk-Abram’s experience with leadership, democratic resilience, and advocacy.  

1. What did the shift from advocacy to leading Poland’s top constitutional offices feel like, and how has defending others’ independence prepared you for holding constitutional authority?

For most of my career, I worked as a lawyer standing next to people whose rights had been violated, children subjected to abuse, survivors of trafficking, people with disabilities, civic activists, judges and prosecutors facing reprisals for defending their independence. That experience taught me that human rights are not abstract principles. They are measured by whether institutions work when people need them most. 

Becoming Poland’s Commissioner for Human Rights does not feel like leaving advocacy behind, it feels like taking responsibility for ensuring that the lessons learned from thousands of individual cases translate into systemic change. 

Defending judges, lawyers, and civil society organizations during years of democratic backsliding was particularly formative. It required independence, resilience, and the ability to act under pressure without losing sight of fundamental principles. These experiences taught me to speak out whenever rights and freedoms are threatened. Today, I see my role as building a bridge between constitutional promises and people’s lived experiences. The authority of the office matters, but only if it is used to deliver practical results and strengthen the protection of rights for everyone.

2. What was the moment that convinced you running for this position was the right next step, and what role did the community of women leaders around you play in that decision?

A few months before deciding to run, I had the opportunity to spend time with an extraordinary group of women leaders convened by GIWPS in Bellagio, Italy. It became a turning point for me.

What inspired me most was not their impressive accomplishments, but their courage and determination. Many of them were leading institutions, driving social change, and taking on challenges that seemed overwhelming. Yet they shared a common belief: that leadership is about stepping forward when you can make a difference, not waiting until you feel completely ready.

Being part of that community helped me see my own path more clearly. The campaign for Commissioner for Human Rights was demanding, and the responsibility was immense. But listening to these women and witnessing their strength gave me confidence that I could take on such a role as well.

They helped me believe I was ready to answer a call that was shaped by more than two decades of human rights work. Looking back, Bellagio was the moment when self-doubt gave way to a sense of responsibility.

3. As you begin a five-year term, how are you thinking about prioritization? What issues will you tackle first, and what would you consider success by the end of your mandate?

As I begin my five-year term, my priority is to ensure that human rights are not treated as abstract principles but as practical guarantees that shape people’s daily lives. The role of the Commissioner is not only to identify problems, but to turn citizens’ experiences into concrete institutional and legislative change.

One of the most urgent challenges is rebuilding trust in the justice system. The true measure of the rule of law is not a constitutional debate among lawyers, but whether an ordinary person can effectively defend their rights before an independent and impartial court. I want the Office to be a strong voice for those who feel powerless in the face of lengthy proceedings, bureaucratic indifference, or inaccessible institutions.

I am equally concerned about social polarization. Across many democracies, people increasingly stop listening to one another and begin seeing one another as adversaries. Hate speech, exclusion, and the dehumanization of particular groups erode not only social cohesion but also respect for fundamental rights. A human rights institution should defend those targeted by such practices while creating space for dialogue across differences.

Protecting equal treatment and ensuring that women’s rights remain an integral part of the human rights agenda will be an important priority of my mandate. I will also pay close attention to the human rights implications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. By the end of my mandate, I would consider it a success if more people feel that democratic institutions are responsive to their concerns, and if the Office is seen not only as a place of intervention, but as a catalyst for lasting systemic change.

“Human rights are not abstract principles; they are measured by whether institutions work when people need them most.”

4. What do you see as the most pressing gender-specific human rights priorities in Poland today, and how do you hope to use this office to advance protections specifically for women?

Women’s rights remain one of the most important human rights challenges in Poland today. While formal equality is largely guaranteed by law, many women still face barriers that affect their safety, health, economic opportunities, and full participation in public life. One of the most urgent priorities is combating gender-based violence.

I am particularly interested in examining how public institutions respond to women experiencing violence. This means looking beyond legislation to assess whether law enforcement agencies, courts, healthcare providers, and social services work together effectively; whether survivors have access to psychological, legal, and social support; and whether the system minimizes the risk of secondary trauma and victimization. 

Another priority is ensuring that women can fully exercise their rights in healthcare, including during pregnancy, childbirth, and other reproductive health matters. I am equally committed to addressing inequalities that affect women in the labor market and public life. This includes monitoring equal pay, equal access to leadership positions, and the implementation of European standards designed to promote gender equality in employment and decision-making.

Particular attention must be given to women who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including women with disabilities, older women, migrant and refugee women, and women living in rural areas. Ultimately, I would like the Office not only to respond when rights are violated, but also to help build a culture in which women can participate in society on equal terms, free from violence, discrimination, and exclusion.

5. How do you see your office’s role evolving to protect the rights of nearly one million displaced Ukrainians?

My experience working with Ukrainian victims of war has reinforced a simple but important lesson: people fleeing conflict do not leave their rights behind when they cross a border.

Poland has shown extraordinary solidarity with Ukrainians since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. As displacement becomes increasingly protracted, the challenge is no longer only emergency assistance; it is ensuring equal access to education, healthcare, housing, employment, and public services while helping people rebuild their lives with dignity. As Commissioner for Human Rights, I see the Office playing an important role in monitoring whether these rights are effectively protected in practice, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and survivors of violence and trafficking. 

At the same time, Poland’s experience demonstrates that refugee protection and social cohesion go hand in hand. The longer the war continues, the more important it becomes to prevent discrimination, counter misinformation, and support peaceful coexistence between host communities and displaced persons. Human rights institutions have a responsibility not only to respond to violations but also to strengthen social resilience and solidarity.

6. How would you characterize the current state of judicial independence and rule of law in Poland today, and what are the biggest structural obstacles to rebuilding public trust?

Poland is no longer where it was a few years ago. The most acute attacks on judicial independence have stopped, and rebuilding the rule of law is now widely recognized as a democratic priority. However, restoring institutions is always more difficult than weakening them. Years of political interference left legal uncertainty, institutional tensions, and a loss of public trust. The key challenge now is to create durable safeguards that will protect judicial independence regardless of future political changes. 

However, trust cannot be restored through legal reforms alone. Institutions may change faster than public perceptions. Many people judge the justice system not by constitutional debates but by their own experiences, whether proceedings are fair, understandable, and completed within a reasonable time. Delays, complexity, and limited accessibility often undermine confidence more than institutional disputes. Rebuilding trust therefore requires both strong guarantees of judicial independence and a justice system that people experience as responsive, transparent, and accessible. 

7. Given how many countries in the region, and beyond, are leaning further into authoritarianism, what do you think Poland’s experience, both the backsliding and the recovery, can teach the region and the world?

Poland’s experience shows both how vulnerable democratic institutions can be and how resilient democratic societies can become under pressure. One lesson is that democratic backsliding rarely happens overnight. It often occurs through incremental changes that gradually weaken checks and balances. That is why independent courts, civil society, free media, and human rights institutions are essential. A second lesson is that civic engagement matters. During difficult years, judges, lawyers, activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens helped defend democratic values even when institutions were under strain. Finally, recovery is possible, but it takes time. Rebuilding trust and institutions requires patience, broad support, and commitment to constitutional principles that rise above political divisions. Democracy is not defended only during moments of crisis. It is strengthened every day by institutions that earn public trust and citizens who remain engaged in protecting their rights and freedoms.

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