Centrum Praw Kobiet

Centrum Praw Kobiet, known in English as the Centre for Women's Rights and commonly abbreviated CPK, is a Polish nongovernmental organization focused on women's equality and the prevention of violence against women. Founded in 1995 by Urszula Nowakowska, the organization combines direct assistance with advocacy and public campaigning. Its work is centered on helping women navigate situations involving abuse, discrimination, and unequal treatment, particularly through access to legal information, psychological support, and specialist services. CPK operates in Poland through branches including Wrocław, Łódź, and Gdańsk. It has also maintained a specialist center where women can obtain legal and mental-health information and services. This service model distinguishes the organization from an advocacy group that works only through public statements: CPK’s activities include practical support for people experiencing violence and other rights violations, alongside efforts to promote broader social and institutional change. The organization became a subject of political and funding controversy after it stopped receiving government funding from 2015 onward. The reported reason was that the organization concentrated on violence against women rather than addressing violence against both men and women. This funding dispute reflected wider disagreements in Poland about the framing of gender-based violence, the role of women’s-rights organizations, and the allocation of public resources to civil-society groups. In 2017, Polish authorities raided CPK offices in several cities. The raids took place shortly after the organization had participated in pro-choice protests organized by the Polish Women's Strike. Computers were reportedly taken and the organization’s operations were disrupted; files containing sensitive information about abuse victims were also involved, raising concerns about privacy and the protection of vulnerable beneficiaries. People associated with CPK characterized the action as an abuse of power. CPK’s public profile therefore rests on two connected roles: a provider of specialized support for women and a civil-society advocate for equality and protection from violence. The organization’s reported 2017 activity included 650,850 instances of legal and psychological help for women, although the available reference material does not specify whether this figure represents unique individuals, consultations, or another measure of service volume. Its official website and public campaigns continue to present the organization as a Polish women's-rights institution rather than a commercial consumer brand.

Centrum Praw Kobiet, whose English name is Centre for Women's Rights, was established in Poland in 1995 by Urszula Nowakowska. From its beginning, the organization developed around two related objectives: advancing women's equality in Polish society and preventing violence against women. Rather than limiting its work to policy advocacy, CPK built a service-oriented model that gives women access to legal information, psychological support, and specialist assistance. The organization has operated through a network that includes branches in Wrocław, Łódź, and Gdańsk. Its specialist center offers legal and mental-health information and services, reflecting CPK’s focus on practical assistance for women dealing with violence or other rights-related problems. This combination of direct support and public advocacy has been central to its identity as a women's-rights nongovernmental organization. A major institutional turning point came in 2015, when CPK stopped receiving government money. The stated reason in the available reference material was that the organization focused on violence against women rather than violence against both men and women. The dispute placed CPK within a broader political conflict concerning how gender-based violence should be defined and addressed, and whether public funds should support organizations with a specifically women-centered mandate. The conflict intensified in 2017. Polish authorities raided CPK offices in several cities. The action followed CPK’s participation in pro-choice demonstrations organized by the Polish Women's Strike approximately one week earlier. Computers were reportedly removed and the raids interfered with the organization’s work. The involvement of files containing sensitive information about abuse victims raised particular concerns because the organization’s beneficiaries could be vulnerable to further harm if confidential information were mishandled. Those involved with CPK described the raids as an abuse of power. Despite these pressures, CPK continued to be described as an organization providing legal and psychological help. The available material reports 650,850 instances of such assistance in 2017, although it does not explain whether the number refers to people served, consultations, or another activity measure. The organization has also used public campaigns, including the #JESTEMZNIĄ video campaign referenced in the source material, to communicate its women's-rights message. CPK’s historical significance lies in its combination of institutional advocacy and frontline services. It has represented a dedicated women's-rights approach in Poland, particularly around violence against women, while also becoming a visible participant in debates over reproductive rights, civil-society independence, government funding, and the handling of confidential information about victims.

1. 2017Offices raided after pro-choice protest participation

   Authorities raided CPK offices in several cities after the organization joined pro-choice protests organized by the Polish Women's Strike.

   Source
2. 2015Government funding discontinued

   CPK stopped receiving government funding amid disagreement over its focus on violence against women.

   Source
3. 1995Organization founded

   Urszula Nowakowska founded Centrum Praw Kobiet in Poland to promote women's equality and help prevent violence against women.

   Source

A Polish women's-rights NGO combining frontline legal and psychological support with advocacy against gender inequality and violence against women.

• Legal assistance and informationLegal and advocacy services

  CPK provides women with legal information and assistance connected to women's rights, violence, and related social or institutional problems. The service is part of the organization’s direct-support model and complements its broader advocacy for equality.

• Psychological and mental-health supportSupport services

  The organization offers psychological support and access to mental-health information for women, particularly in the context of violence and other difficult circumstances. These services are delivered through its specialist support infrastructure.

• Women's-rights advocacyNonprofit advocacy1995

  CPK conducts public advocacy and education intended to promote women's equality in Polish society and strengthen prevention and recognition of violence against women. Its work includes participation in public debates and campaigns concerning women's rights.

• 2017Participation in Polish Women's Strike pro-choice protests

  Poland

  CPK participated in pro-choice protests organized by the Polish Women's Strike. The participation preceded the 2017 raids on several CPK offices.

  Outcome. The protests increased the organization’s visibility in Poland’s reproductive-rights debate and were followed shortly afterward by state raids on CPK premises.

  Source
• #JESTEMZNIĄ

  Poland

  A video campaign associated with CPK that communicated the organization’s women's-rights message. The available reference does not provide a confirmed launch date or detailed performance information.

  Source

• 2015Continue a women-centered violence-prevention mandate after loss of state fundingStrategy

  The organization’s government funding ended amid a stated objection that CPK focused on violence against women rather than violence against both women and men.

  What changed. CPK continued its women-focused legal, psychological, and advocacy work without the reported government funding.

  Aftermath. The funding dispute became part of a wider controversy over the role of women's-rights organizations and the treatment of gender-based violence in Poland.

  Source

• 2017Raids and handling of sensitive victim filesControversy

  Authorities raided CPK offices in multiple Polish cities, reportedly taking computers and interfering with operations. Files containing sensitive information about abuse victims were also involved, leading people associated with the organization to describe the action as an abuse of power.

  Source

• 2017Centrum Praw Kobiet reported extensive legal and psychological assistance

  The organization reported providing 650,850 instances of legal and psychological help to women. The available reference does not clarify the measurement methodology.

  Other
  Source
• 2015Government funding for Centrum Praw Kobiet ended

  Centrum Praw Kobiet stopped receiving government funding. The reported justification was that its work addressed violence against women rather than violence against both women and men.

  RegulationOther
  Source

1. Centre for Women's Rights
2. Centrum Praw Kobiet official website
3. #JESTEMZNIĄ