The event will bring together female leaders, experts, and representatives of public administration, academia, the defense industry, the military, and uniformed services to discuss how women contribute to shaping Poland’s security – not only within uniformed structures, but also in technological, economic, business, and institutional spheres.
Image: GROM. Strength And Honour Foundation
The aim of the conference is to highlight the growing role of women in the national security system, which today encompasses not only the armed forces but also the defense industry, as well as the energy, space, and scientific sectors. As Agnieszka Petelicka, President of the GROM. Strength and Honour Foundation, emphasizes: “Security has many faces, and they are increasingly female. For years, women have been co-creating the state security system, from commanders to analysts and engineers designing the most advanced defense technologies. This conference is a space for recognition and inspiration, because without women there can be no modern, strong, and secure state.”
The conference has gained strong support from the highest representatives of state administration and uniformed services. During the opening session, speeches will be delivered by, among others: Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense; Marcin Kierwiński, Minister of the Interior and Administration; Brig. Gen. Dr. Krzysztof Stańczyk, Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces; Rafał Bruski, Mayor of Bydgoszcz; and Dr. Agnieszka Kłopotek, Member of the Polish Parliament (Sejm). Among the speakers will also be Maj. Gen. (Police) Dr. Agata Malasińska-Nagórny, Rector-Commander of the Police Academy in Szczytno, who will deliver a special address on the role of women in public security structures.
The conference program includes four thematic panels, all aimed at emphasizing women’s impact and leadership across various areas of security — from command and operational leadership, through innovation management and technological development, to strategic leadership.
Panel I – Women in Uniform: Leaders of National Security, moderated by Maj. Dr. Anna Grabowska-Siwiec, former counterintelligence officer of the Internal Security Agency (ABW), will feature: Lt. Col. Dr. Katarzyna Rzadkowska (Veterans Center), Lt. Col. Nina Kaczmarek (Council for Women’s Military Service), Lt. Col. Dr. Magdalena Kozak (Military Institute of Aviation Medicine), Lt. Ewelina Mrowicka (8th Kuyavian-Pomeranian Territorial Defense Brigade), and Cdr. Aldona Grabowska (Armed Forces Support Inspectorate).
Panel II – Women in the Defense Industry: The Driving Force of Innovation and Security, moderated by Sylwia Kuligowska, Spokesperson for Cenzin (PGZ Group), will bring together experts from the defense sector, including representatives of companies within the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ): Magdalena Suplicka (WZL No. 2), Sylwia Bystrzyk (ZM Dezamet), Małgorzata Miśkiewicz (ZCh Nitro-Chem), and Małgorzata Kobylarczyk from MBDA Poland Group.
Panel III – Experiences and Challenges of Women in Various Areas of the Security System, moderated by Maj. Dr. Anna Grabowska-Siwiec, will present the perspectives of experts from different security sectors: Dr. Kornelia Oblińska (Orlen), Dr. Marta Wachowicz (Polish Space Agency), Brig. Gen. Dr. Barbara Szykuła-Piec (Fire Academy), and Capt. Joanna Gutowska (Border Guard).
Panel IV – Women’s Leadership and Self-Development: From Courage to Influence, moderated by Dr. Kornelia Oblińska, will focus on developing leadership skills and building women’s authority within decision-making structures. The panel will feature: MP Dr. Agnieszka Kłopotek, Renata Rycerz (National Centre for Research and Development – NCBR), Edyta Wiwatowska (Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technology Park), and Dorota Zawacka-Wakarecy (General Elżbieta Zawacka Foundation).
The conference’s theme goes far beyond the traditional understanding of security. Women are increasingly taking responsibility for command, research, and industrial projects of strategic importance — including in the space, energy, and defense sectors. The event will be accompanied by two exhibitions: “100 Years of Women in the Police 1925–2025” and “General Elżbieta Zawacka – Silent Unseen“, both highlighting the long tradition of women serving their Homeland. The event will conclude with a screening of the film “Chosen – for the 100th Anniversary of Women in the Police“, dedicated to women who, over the decades, have shaped the ethos of service and professionalism in Polish uniformed formations.
The second edition of the conference “Women in the National Security System” continues the initiative launched on May 26, 2025, in Tarnów, aiming to raise public awareness of the role of women in national security, in uniformed services, the defense industry, and public life. The event supports the empowerment of women as leaders and specialists in sectors traditionally dominated by men, creates a space for dialogue and exchange of experiences among representatives of the uniformed services, academia, and expert communities, and promotes the idea of cooperation and mutual support.
The conference is organized by the GROM. Strength and Honour Foundation, a non-governmental organization that has long cooperated with the Ministry of National Defence in promoting Polish military traditions and history, supporting veterans’ communities, and fostering defense education among youth. The Foundation organizes numerous patriotic, pro-defense, and educational initiatives, and actively works to strengthen the role of women in the national security system and leadership structures.
The event is held under the Honorary Patronage of the Minister of National Defence, the Minister of the Interior and Administration, the Mayor of Bydgoszcz, and the Starost of Bydgoszcz County.
Event details: October 24, 2025, 9:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m., Bydgoszcz Trade and Exhibition Center, 187 Gdańska Street, Bydgoszcz. – Free admission.
Press release