Women and Gender in Russia Kyle Ennis, Jenessa Hutchins, Sean O’Hara, Emily Prims, Anna Tiner, Dan DeFrisco

Political Equality  ｷ Women have significantly less political power in Russia  o Women have their own political party- allowed only 7% of spots on the ballot  o Russian parliament is only about 9% women  ｧ Upper chamber of parliament is only 4% women  ｷ In the US:  o Women can run for any office during an election and may be part of both major political parties  o Women make up 17% of Congress:  ｧ 17 Females in Senate, 75 females in House (About 17% of House)

Economic Equality  ｷ Women have roughly equal education levels to that of Russian men  o Literacy rate: Men- 99.7%, Women- 99.2%  o Women and men both spend about 15 years in school  ｷ Women discriminated against in hiring in market economy  o No equal contract protections for women required  ｧ No provisions in contracts for childcare  ｧ Highest unemployment among Women in recession  o High percentage of women in workforce, but extremely small amount in high positions

Economic Equaltiy (cont’d)  ｷ Equal literacy for US men and women- 99%  o Women likely to spend 17 years in school, men likely to spend 15 years in school  ｷ Women doing slightly better than men in US  o De Jure protection in contracts and hiring  ｧ Some maternity leave  ｧ more men unemployed in 2010 than women  ｧ Still more men in workforce than women -> but gap shrinking

Low Level Women’s Rights Compared to US ZFor every 100 births, there are 200 abortions (one of the highest abortion rates in the world) Z–Contraceptives are too expensive, abortion becomes the popular solution. ZPutin-entice any family with $11,000 worth of rubies if they had a second child ZSergei Morozov’s June 12 plan: “Give Birth to a Patriot on Russian Day”-Forget fixing infrastructure, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life.

Status of Rights of Homosexuals ZHomosexual’s have not been criminally prosecuted since 2003 ZNot considered a mental illness since 1999 ZNo legal recognition of same sex couples ZAnyone can adopt as a single person, regardless of sexual orientation, but only heterosexual people can adopt together as a couple

Turning points in History Z1861: Abolition of serfdom Z1907: The League for Women’s Equal Rights formed ZDivorce, land, voting laws ZNo class distinction Z1917: Women demand “bread and peace”, granted right to vote Z1918: First All-Russian Women Workers’ Congress Z1941: Women drafted in WWII Z1977: Soviet constitution states equal rights for men and women ZMaternity leave Z92% in workforce ZLower paid Z1996: Law drafted against domestic violence

Women in Society and Politics  ｷ Men and women retain the same legal rights  o However, rights for woman are often not enforced  ｷ Sexual harassment and domestic violence are common  o Neither are specifically protected under the law  o Authorities don’t step in  o Volunteer organizations sometimes step in  ｷ Rape is punishable by law, but it is difficult to form case  ｷ Women have the freedom of movement and dress  ｷ Women are more often unemployed, earn lower salaries, and are responsible for most domestic/family work

Women in Society and Politics Cont’d  ｷ Most women who are successful start their own businesses or work for multinationals  ｷ Few women have roles of importance/decision making  ｷ Few women are represented in the Duma  o The ones that are don’t hold important positions  ｷ Current women leaders/movements  o Valentina Matvienko  ｧ Current governor of St. Petersburg  ｧ Speaks on behalf of women’s rights  o Natalia Narochnitskaya  ｧ Politician/diplomat  ｧ Current director of the Paris office of the Russian Institute of Democracy and Cooperation

Conclusion ZUS Chicks=Russian Chicks

Works Cited   _in_the_Russian_Federation _in_the_Russian_Federation   ive/2006/10/16/ /index.htm ive/2006/10/16/ /index.htm Zhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Narochnitskayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Narochnitskaya Zhttp://  n/Facts.html