Hostages of/by the Language: The Origins, Process and Consequences of (Not) Talking About Domestic and Gender-Based Violence in Poland
Hostages of/by the Language: The Origins, Process and Consequences of (Not) Talking About Domestic and Gender-Based Violence in Poland

Summary/Abstract: Domestic and gender-based violence (D/GBV) in Poland has long been relegated to the margins of political, legal, and social agendas, as it was overshadowed by “more pressing” issues such as economic transition, EU accession, or wartime security. Despite Poland’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention (2015), its implementation remains partial and contested. Scholarship has documented the silencing and invisibilisation of women and children in contexts of D/GBV and international politics (e.g., Enloe), yet little attention has been paid to language as a literal and discursive barrier and opportunity in this regard. This paper asks how women and children are “hostages of/by language”. Drawing on feminist critical discourse analysis, sociological imagination, and norm translation theory, we analyse Polish politicians’ speeches, media reporting, and Catholic Church communications (2015–2025) to show how discursive silences and terminological struggles obstruct recognition and policy, making naming a necessary condition for protection.

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