“Let us give older people a voice. Let us not allow them to disappear from our field of vision,” Amnesty International said as it launched its new social campaign, I Am.
The initiative draws attention to the everyday realities faced by older people in Poland and challenges the way ageing is perceived by both institutions and society at large.
In Poland, older people are still seen as dependants rather than rights-holders
According to Amnesty International, Poland is undergoing a profound demographic shift: one in five residents is now aged 65 or over.
Yet, as Joanna Rostkowska, the campaign’s coordinator, points out, older people are often treated as a homogeneous and dependent group rather than as individuals with full rights.
“These are not anonymous figures,” she says.
“They are usually someone’s grandmother or grandfather. And yet, with age, they cease to be seen as rights-holders. They are reduced to people who need care, which too often leads to their dignity being questioned and their agency taken away.”
Starzenie się społeczeństwa oznacza, że co czwarta osoba – twoja babcia, twój tata, wujek, sąsiadka, a może zaraz ty? –...
Opublikowany przez Amnesty International Polska Wtorek, 20 stycznia 2026
The campaign highlights several systemic challenges facing older people, including limited access to healthcare, financial exclusion and digital marginalisation.
As public services and private companies increasingly move online, many older citizens are left struggling to keep up.
Efficiency versus dignity: how institutional changes affect older people in Poland
One of the campaign’s protagonists, Małgorzata, describes her efforts to adapt to the digitalisation of everyday life.
She learns new applications and familiarises herself with new devices, determined not to be left behind. However, she notes that companies frequently overlook older customers.
Her bank has recently closed several local branches where she used to handle her affairs, while ATMs in her neighbourhood are also disappearing.
“I still often need cash,” she explains, expressing concern about what the future may hold.
Restoring dignity and agency to older people in Poland
Amnesty International argues that such changes, while often justified in terms of efficiency, risk excluding a significant and growing part of the population.
“Older people are a large and indispensable part of society,” the organisation stresses.
“They have the right to life, dignity and equality, to pursue their interests, and to remain active members of their communities.”
In Poland, the campaign coincides with Grandmother’s Day on 21 January, followed by Grandfather’s Day the next day - a symbolic reminder that public gestures of appreciation must be matched by concrete action to protect the rights and dignity of older people.
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Source: Amnesty International/IAR/X/@amnestyPL