Media & Policy
SELECTED TALKS & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
2026
“Security Is More Than the Military: Women in Poland’s National Defence System”, 13th Freedom Games (Festival of Ideas), organized by Fundacja Liberté!
“Women SAFE in Security and Resilience”, 18th Women’s Congress (Kongres Kobiet), Kraków.
“Universal Military Service or Compulsory Public Service? Security, Citizenship and the Cost of Readiness”, Campus Polska Przyszłości 2026.
“Comprehensive Security for Europe in an Era of Polycrisis”, Brussels Dialogue on Defence 2026, organised by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Brussels, June 2026.
“What Are We Defending When We Critique Liberalism? Rethinking Gender and Liberal Democratic Ideals”, panel discussion at the ECPR European Conference on Politics and Gender, Newcastle University, United Kingdom, 15–17 June 2026.
“Polish Women Ready 2.0: The Role of Women in Civil Protection and Civil Defence” (Pol(s)ka Gotowa 2.0 – Rola kobiet w ochronie ludności i obronie cywilnej), 6th National Forum of Women’s Councils (6. Ogólnopolskie Forum Rad Kobiet), Warsaw, 17–18 April 2026.
2025
“How to Build a Poland Resilient to Tomorrow’s Crises?”, public debate with prof. Andrzej Leder, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Dariusz Standerski and dr Tomasz Sawczuk, organized by Polityka Insight and Fundacja PKO Banku Polskiego, Warsaw, 27 November.
“Opowieść o odporności” [A Tale of Resilience], Polityka Insight Podcast, with Jakub Wygnański.
“Are We Ready? Building Societal Resilience – Lessons from Poland and Ukraine”, 12th Freedom Games (Festival of Ideas), organized by Fundacja Liberté!
2023
"Women during the war: between defense of the country and lack of social security", Dialogues of the Peripheries, Spilne | Commons: Journal of Social Criticism, 4 November 2023.
"The gender paradox in Polish defense", Let's Talk About Politics Podcast, 23 May 2023.
"How does illiberal democracy navigate gender politics? Moving from backlash to pragmatics in Poland", REDEM Seminar, Malmö University, 26 May 2023.
"New Nordic in:security", In: Security in Border Regions. International Expert Workshop, KonKoop and ZOiS, Berlin, 8 June 2023.
"Bohaterki z przeszłości, przewodniczki po współczesności", exhibition opening panel, Warsaw Rising Museum, 20 September 2023.
2022
"Do you feel safe? Discussion about feminist approaches to security", with Zuzana Maďarová and Míla O’Sullivan, FES Prague & ASPEKT, Bratislava, 23 November 2022.
"Zeitenwende: The Left's New Approach to Security", Progressive Governance Summit, Berlin, 13 October 2022.
"Porozmawiajmy o wojnie" [Let's talk about war], Polish Gender Studies Association, 23 June 2022.
“The State of Hungarian Defense”, Visegrad Insight, Online, 3 March 2022.
“Paramilitaryzm i płeć. Doświadczenia w początku XX i XXI wieku w Polsce” [Paramilitarism and Gender. Comparing 20th and 21th century Polish experiences], Institute of History, University of Warsaw, 25 January 2022.
2021
“The Gender Politics of Re-militarization in Central Europe: the Case of Polish Paramilitary Organizing”, Institute of European Studies and International Relations, Comenius University, Online, 9 December 2021
"Civil-military cooperation in CEE, International Center for Development and Democratic Transition", Budapest, 8 July 2021.
“Understanding Societal Resilience”, Civil Engagement and Participation in Defence Conference, STRATPOL, 6 May 2021.
“The Grand Return of the Troops. Militarization of COVID-19 and Shifting Military-Society Relations in Visegrad”, Security of the future – the future of security, University of Wrocław, 1 July 2021.
2020
“Feminizm i militaryzm wczoraj i dziś - meldunek z polskiego frontu” [Feminism and Militarism Then and Now: Dispatches From Poland], National Museum in Warsaw, 23 Oct 2020.
“Gender in Military and Security Structures. Eastern and Central Europe”, Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 22 Oct 2020.
“Paramilitarism in Central and Eastern Europe: Adjusting State-Society Relations in Times of Insecurity”, GMF of the US, 2 Sept 2020.
“From NGOization of National Security to State-led (Para)militarism? Paramilitary Organizing in Post-1989 Poland”, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, 21 Jan 2020.
2019
“The Globalization of 'Traditional Values”, Plenary Roundtable, ECPG Conference, University of Amsterdam , 6 Jun 2019.
“Children of Pax Europea Training for War? Paramilitary Civil Society in Central Europe”, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 9 Jan 2019.
POLICY PAPERS & RESEARCH REPORTS
2026
“Filar, a nie zaplecze. Kobiety w obronie powszechnej i odporności w Polsce.” [A Pillar, Not a Supporting Role: Women in National Defence and Resilience in Poland], Batory Foundation, 09 July 2026.
2024
“Paramilitary civil society – remaking defence from below in Poland”, KonKoop (Conflict and Cooperation in Eastern Europe), in: Old Fears and New Threats: Insecurity and Societal Cohesion in Russia's Neighbourhood, 17 May 2024.
2022
“Gendered impacts of increased defense preparations on NATO’s eastern flank”, German Marshall Fund of the U.S., in preparation
2020
“Ochrona obywatelska. Edukacja na rzecz obywatelskiej rezyliencji” [Civic protection: Education for civic resilience], co-authored with Jan Zygmuntowski and Wojciech Kuźnicki, Instrat Foundation Policy Paper Series, 2020.
2018
“Poland”, co-authored with E. Zacharenko, in: "Triumph of the Women? The Female Face of the Populist & Far Right in Europe, FES, Berlin 2018, p. 81-92.
2016
“Thoughts on the contested relationship between neoliberalism and feminism”, with A. Gregor, in: Solidarity in Struggle. Feminist Perspectives on Neoliberalism in ECE, ed. E. Kováts , FES, p. 11-20. 2016.
“Conservatives vs. the ‘culture of death’: How progressives handled the war on ‘gender’”, co-authored with E. Soos, FEPS study, March 2016.
2026
OP-EDS & INTERVIEWS
“Universal Defence and Gender (In)Equality: Who Should Defend the Country, and How?” (Obrona powszechna a (nie)równość płci. Kto i jak ma bronić kraju?), interview for Krytyka Polityczna, 3 October 2026.
“The Military Is Not Enough: Poland Needs a Culture of Defence” (Armia nie wystarczy. Polska potrzebuje kultury obronnej), interview for Kultura Liberalna, 15 September 2026.
“Europe’s Gray Zone of Non-Peace”, interview for Kyiv Post, 22 August 2026.
“Women Are a Pillar, Not a Supporting Force: Dr. Grzebalska on Why Comprehensive Defence Requires a Change in Thinking” (Kobiety są filarem, nie zapleczem. Dr Grzebalska: obrona powszechna wymaga zmiany myślenia), interview for InfoSecurity24.pl, 14 August 2026.
“Poland Cannot Build a Comprehensive Defence System Without Women” (Bez kobiet Polska nie zbuduje systemu obrony powszechnej), interview with Weronika Grzebalska by Agata Czarnacka, OKO.press, 9 August 2026.
2025
"wGotowości: dobry start, ale odporności nie zbudujemy na rekreacji dla ochotników”; [wGotowość: A Good Start, but Resilience Cannot Be Built on Recreational Activities for Volunteers], Kultura Liberalna, Nr 882 (48/2025), 11 December 2025.
"Polacy nie chcą bronić kraju? 4 niebezpieczne mity dotyczące naszej obronności" [Are Poles unwilling to defend the state? Four dangerous myths about our defense], Kultura Liberalna, Nr 860 (26/2025), 7 July 2025.
"Odporność i obronność to wspólna sprawa. Potrzebujemy nowego kontraktu płci – na wczoraj" [Resilience and defense are a common cause. A new gender contract is needed now", Krytyka Polityczna, 11 March 2025.
2023
"The gender paradox in Polish defense", Let's Talk About Politics and Governance podcast, 23 May 2023.
"Hvad sker der, når Polen får Europas største hær? En ny politik vækker bekymring dybt ind i hærens egne rækker" [What happens when Poland gets Europe's largest army? A new policy is causing concern deep within the army's own ranks, Berlingske, 15 October 2023.
2022
"Szkoły, szpitale, strzelnice. To lewica ma klucz do budowy prawdziwej odporności państwa" [Schools, hospitals, shooting ranges. The Left holds a key to building true resilience of the state], Krytyka Polityczna, 30 May 2022.
"Nie taki 'niewidzialny' batalion. Ukrainki widać na froncie wojny z Rosją." [Not such an 'invisible' batalion. Ukranian women are visible on the front]. TOK FM Podcast, 2 April 2022.
"Manifest obrony hybrydowej" [Hybrid Defense Manifesto]. interia.pl, 14 March 2022.
"'Armia Macierewicza' stała się 'plasterkiem na problemy'" [The 'Macierewicz Army' became a band-aid for structural vulnerabilities] Mine, Yours, Ours... Podcast, Wirtualna Polska, 28 February 2022.
2021
"Can the crisis of social reproduction bring the demise of central-European illiberals?", Social Europe, 15 November 2021.
"On the EU’s Belarus border, security and fundamental rights collide", Social Europe, 13 September 2021.
"As Polish women flock towards volunteer defence, the left remains inept", Social Europe, 14 June 2021.
2020
"Building radical resilience in place of militarizing the status quo", Kapital, 6 May 2020.
"In Poland, COVID-19 exposes progressing societal militarization", Baltic Worlds, 31 May 2020.
2019
"A curious feminist gaze into the right-wing shift", Feminism and Gender Democracy, 3 May 2019.
"Gdy państwo się zwija, rodzi się paramilitaryzm [When the state rolls back, paramilitarism is born]", Kultura Liberalna, 28 May 2019.
2018
Beyond the anti-women backlash. How we can understand women’s support for the right in Poland and Hungary, International Politics and Society, 18 December 2018.
2017
"In Central Europe, militarised societies are on the march", The Conversation, 28 September 2017.
"Green Observatory: Security", Green European Journal, 24 June 2017.
2016
"How Hungary and Poland have silenced women and stifled human rights", The Conversation, 14 October 2016.
"Why the war on “gender ideology” matters – and not just to feminists", Visegrad Insight, 7 March 2016.
CONTACT ME
Contact Weronika Grzebalska to discuss their published work, media appearances, and collaboration opportunities or for any other inquiries.
EXPERT COMMENTARY & MEDIA CITATIONS
2026
“Hybrid Warfare in Poland: Putin’s Attacks Are Becoming Increasingly Frequent” (Hybrider Krieg in Polen: Sie spüren Putins Attacken immer häufiger), expert commentary in Süddeutsche Zeitung, 28 September 2026.
“Women Are More Likely to Enter Male-Dominated Professions Than Men Are to Enter Female-Dominated Ones” (Kobiety częściej wybierają męskie zawody niż panowie sfeminizowane), expert commentary in Rzeczpospolita, 20 July 2026.
“The Security Report Leaves No Doubt: Poland Is Failing to Harness Women’s Potential” (Raport o bezpieczeństwie nie pozostawia złudzeń. Polska nie wykorzystuje potencjału kobiet), coverage of Weronika Grzebalska’s research in Onet, 9 July 2026.
“I Took Part in the ‘wGotowości’ Programme: Now I Know What Should Be in an Emergency Backpack” (Wzięłam udział w programie „wGotowości”. Wiem, co ma być w plecaku ewakuacyjnym), expert commentary in Rzeczpospolita, 26 June 2026.
“From Luxury to Readiness: How Poland Is Preparing Its People for Crisis”, expert commentary in TVP World, 29 March 2026.
2025
“In a Misty Forest, Polish Citizens Receive Resilience Training — Because You Never Know” (In een mistig bos krijgen Poolse burgers weerbaarheidstraining – want je weet maar nooit), expert commentary in de Volkskrant, 5 December 2025.