In August 2019 an order issued by Col. Radosław Cyniak, the commander of the 9th Warmian Reconnaissance Regiment of the Polish Army, came into light and immediately sparked a media controversy. Its provisions concerned the external appearance of soldiers, regulating it in minute details. Journalists and the female soldiers they cited indicated that some of the provisions of the order targeted women serving in this unit, introducing excessive limitations on their appearance.
ZBN Analysis no. 12 (51) / 2019
16 November 2019
In August 2019 an order issued by Col. Radosław Cyniak, the commander of the 9th Warmian Reconnaissance Regiment of the Polish Army, came into light and immediately sparked a media controversy. Its provisions concerned the external appearance of soldiers, regulating it in minute details. Journalists and the female soldiers they cited indicated that some of the provisions of the order targeted women serving in this unit, introducing excessive limitations on their appearance. What is the purpose of introducing this type of regulations? What is their legal foundation? What is the function of uniformity of soldiers and to what effect? Finally, how do appearance regulations affect men and women serving in the army? This analysis provides an outline of the discussion on this issue using legal, sociological and critical-feminist perspectives.
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wlodi/2468497083/