Joanna Wicha

Joanna Wicha
Portrait of Joanna Wicha from 2023.
Wicha in 2023
Member of the Sejm
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 November 2023
Parliamentary groupThe Left
Constituency20 (Warsaw II)
Personal details
Born
Joanna Beata Wicha

(1966-10-09) 9 October 1966 (age 58)
Biała Podlaska, Poland
Political partyLeft Together (2015–2024)
Alma materUniversity of Warsaw[1]
ProfessionNurse

Joanna Beata Wicha (born 9 October 1966) is a Polish nurse, labor activist and politician, elected member of the Sejm in 2023.

Wicha assumed her seat on 13 November 2023 and currently is a member of the standing committees for health, elder care policy and national defense. She is affiliated with The Left parliamentary group.[2]

Biography

Wicha was born in Biała Podlaska on 9 October 1966.[2] She has graduated from a medical school in 1986, specializing in nursing, and went on to achieve a master's degree in sociology at the University of Warsaw.[2] She has been a nurse for over 37 years and has recently worked in children hospital in Warsaw.[3] Since 1996 she is an active trade unionist.[3] She is a member of the Polish National Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives.[1][4]

Political career

In 2015 she joined newly established Left Together party,[1][3] and was a member of party's national council.[5] In October 2024, she left Left Together, while remaining in The Left as an MP.[6]

Election results
Election Body Committee Votes (%) Constituency Elected? Ref.
2018 Warsaw City Council KWW Jan Śpiewak – Wygra Warszawa 247 (0.26%) Śródmieście and Ochota No [7]
2019 European Parliament Left Together 482 (0.03%) Warsaw No [8]
2019 Sejm The Left 2,919 (0.21%) Warsaw I No [9]
2023 Sejm The Left 15,324 (2.10%) Warsaw II Yes [10]

Political views

Wicha advocates for women's right for abortion until twelfth week of pregnancy[1] and speaks unfavorably about Constitutional Tribunal ruling from October 2020 that tightened abortion law in Poland.[3]

She also stands for public funding of in-vitro fertilisation[1] and spoke in favor of the case at the Sejm meeting on 22 November 2023 during the first reading of citizens' amend proposal of the Act on publicly funded healthcare treatments, which would include IVT refunding.[11]

Wicha is an outspoken supporter for increased healthcare services and education public spending.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Joanna Wicha". mamprawowiedziec.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Joanna Wicha - Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej". sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Karpieszuk, Wojciech (21 October 2023). "Jak pielęgniarka Joanna Wicha została posłanką Lewicy. 'To kobiety wygrały, olbrzymka się obudziła'". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Agora. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  4. ^ "26 medyków w Sejmie i Senacie nowej kadencji. To lekarze, pielęgniarki i farmaceuci". www.rynekzdrowia.pl (in Polish). 19 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Razem budujemy inną politykę - Strona oficjalna partii Razem". partiarazem.pl. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Wielki rozłam w partii Razem. Grupa polityczek opuszcza szeregi". wiadomosci.onet.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Wybory samorządowe 2018". wybory2018.pkw.gov.pl. National Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Results of European Parliament Election 2019 | WICHA Joanna Beata | Constituency no. 4 [Warszawa]". pe2019.pkw.gov.pl. National Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Sejm voting results | KOMITET WYBORCZY SOJUSZ LEWICY DEMOKRATYCZNEJ | Sejm Constituency no. 19 [Warszawa]". sejmsenat2019.pkw.gov.pl. National Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  10. ^ "WICHA Joanna Beata, candidate in Parliament election 2023". wybory.gov.pl. National Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Wypowiedzi na posiedzeniach Sejmu - Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej". sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2023.
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