In a resounding display of commitment to equality, students at the University of Information Technology and Management recently engaged in a compelling debate titled „Every Gender is Equal.” The event, held at the IQ Student Club on December 12, 2023, was a noteworthy part of this year’s celebration of Human Rights Day. Dr. Zdzisław Rapacki, economist and former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN office in Geneva from 2004 – 2010 was the honorary guest.

UITM is a university open to the world, created by a multinational community of students and lecturers, and socially responsible. The activities and initiatives we undertake have been consistent with these values ​​for many years, said Dr. Barbara Przywara, Vice-Rector for Teaching, opening the debate.

Dr. Rapacki delivered an enlightening keynote titled „The role of international organizations in shaping standards and monitoring compliance with human rights.

In his speech, he drew attention, among other things, to the existence of gender inequality on a global scale. Currently, less than a quarter of all parliamentary seats worldwide are held by women, and only more than 10 governments are led by women, representing just 7% of the total. Despite some progress, gender inequality remains a key issue and the scale of the problem is still large, especially in the regions of North Africa and the Middle East, said Dr. Rapacki. He also pointed to numerous difficulties in everyday life in many countries of the world, including divorce rights in societies where men are considered more important than women and can easily divorce their wives, while women in a similar situation face great difficulties or the right to custody – mothers are often denied custody of their children and are left without any financial support, e.g. in the event of divorce.

In addition to Dr. Rapacki, the debate was attended by Małgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, a lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Administration at UITM, and students of Management: Mieczysław Moneta, supervisor of the Intercultural Research Club „The Globe” science club, and Valeriia Krasnozhon.

The debate featured diverse perspectives, with students from the Intercultural Research Club „The Globe,” KN Humanus, and LB Club – Leading in Business posing insightful questions to Dr. Rapacki. They are concerned, among others, with international recommendations promoting equal status of women and men in the area of ​​remuneration for work, Polish solutions for combating violence against women, regulating the status of LBGTQ+ people, as well as Polish and EU good practices useful to non-governmental organizations implementing the ideas of gender equality. Students from all over the world, including Rwanda, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Zimbabwe shared with the audience the experiences of their countries in terms of perceiving and implementing the idea of ​​gender equality. A representative of secondary schools participating in the event also took part in the discussion. There were so many questions for Dr. Zdzisław Rapacki that the discussion on them, after the official closing of the debate, moved to the corridors.

The debate gathered over 160 people, including employees and students of UITM, high school students: Public Academic Secondary School with bilingual classes in Rzeszów with its director Renata Łunarska, Complex of Innovative Schools in Jarosław with teacher Grażyna Gamracy, Secondary School no. Nicolaus Copernicus in Jarosław with teachers Elżbieta Łambucka and Maciej Wesołowski and the 6th Secondary School in Rzeszów with teacher Arkadiusz Błażejowski and students of the 50+ Academy.

An important element of the event was the summary of this year’s Amnesty International Letter Writing Marathon. The debate was also accompanied by an exhibition of posters „EVERYONE HAS EQUAL RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF GENDER”/”ALL PEOPLE HAVE RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF GENDER”, which was the originator and organizer of the Council of Scientific Clubs of UITM in cooperation with KN The Globe, the exhibition consisted of 16 works by students major in Computer Graphics:

MARIUSZ CHORĄŻY

MICHALINA CHORZĘPA

PATRYCJA GŁODEK

DOMINIK KAMIŃSKI

MARLENA KUCIŃSKA

EDYTA MUSTIAL

ARTHUR OZYCH

MONIKA STOPYRA

ANNA SOZANSKA

KAMILA TEPER

KAMIL USTRZYŃSKI

HELENA WRÓBEL

MAŁGORZATA ZYCH

LILIANA ŻYWICKA

As Dr. Malgorzata Gosek, Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development, emphasizes: The debate, which is part of the implementation of the idea of ​​sustainable development, was an important event for us for two reasons. As a university, we want to create an environment in which everyone feels accepted and respected. Each of us is different, we are different from each other, but this diversity enriches us and allows us to see the world from different perspectives. The second reason to be proud is the gathering of many active young people at the debate – students from many schools and Polish and foreign students. This is what we want to do as a university – integrate. Integration is a way to understand other people, tolerance, and sometimes friendship. UITM is open to all people.

Conducted in English, the debate ensured inclusivity, with simultaneous translation into Polish provided by the Department of English Philology at UITM.

The success of the event was made possible through the collaboration of various entities, with the Scientific Circle of the Intercultural Research Club „The Globe” taking the lead. Additional support came from the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for countering mobbing and violence, Dr. Katarzyna Kurzępa-Dedo, EUROPE DIRECT Rzeszów, and the Council of Scientific Circles of UITM, along with the Development Department and Coordination of IT Projects and the IQ Club.

As Dr. Gosek emphasized, the debate exemplified UITM’s dedication to sustainable development and creating an inclusive environment. By fostering understanding, tolerance, and friendship, the university continues to integrate students from diverse backgrounds, truly embodying the principle that „UITM is open to all people.”