In Hebrew, there’s a figure known as the ima Polonia – the “Polish mother” – a woman who offers love that feels more like emotional leverage than care. Poland’s recent politics have mirrored this dynamic. Between 2015 and 2023, under the alt-right Zjednoczona Prawica government, the image of the woman, be it as judge, activist, or politician, was often instrumentalised to undermine progressive, pro-democratic causes. The government framed its actions as caring rather than punishing (just like ima Polonia), using women not to promote their rights but to support anti-feminist changes.