In Russia, the equality of men and women was declared and anchored in the country’s constitution as early as at the beginning of the 20th century. Nevertheless, the government today is consciously treating women’s rights as pertaining only to measures of social protection, which is evidence of a dangerous trend towards the withdrawal of women from the country’s political life.
With respect to the representation of women in national parliaments, Russia ranks 82nd among 188 states that have a legislative institution. In terms of female members of the governing administration, we fell to 121st place. We could change this situation by adopting the “Act on state guarantees of equal rights and freedoms for women and men and equal opportunities for their realization”. That bill, however, has been the subject of heated discussion in the State Duma for 8 years already. This is due to the president’s and the government’s reluctance to match their actions to their words on the issue of equal rights for women.
There are no institutions in the Russian government which are responsible to combat any form of discrimination against women. This is direct proof of Russia’s unwillingness to fulfill the requirements of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In reality, that role has been taken up by civic women’s organizations, of which there are 22 working at the national level and 300 at the regional level in Russia, according to official data alone.
Today, it is not in vogue to talk about equal rights of the sexes or about the facts of sexual discrimination, and the problems related to discrimination against women are concealed and they are not readily acknowledged by the government.
101 years ago, Clara Zetkin called on the progressive women of the planet to unite in the fight for their rights and dignity. Today, this call has taken on a new force. We, women, will win only by uniting our efforts.
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Nina Ostanina. Member of the State Duma (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Member of the Duma Committee on Family, Women’s and Children’s Affairs.
Natalia Bitten Journalist, political
scientist, writer, feminist. Has published academic essays and the
novel 'Mainstream' (2007) under the pseudonym of Natalja Kim.
She specializes in Gender Studies. Edited the largest
political paper in the area of Kemerow. Currently she works on the
internet portal Klub (traveling women). She is an active member of
'Initiativegruppe Für Feminismus'.
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Read more about:
- The stiuation of women in Russia - An introduction
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- Interview with Nadezhda Shvedova: The women's movement in today's Russia
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