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Women's Rights Essay

Decent Essays

Russian Women’s Rights in the Post-Soviet Context Vladimir Putin’s Russia is not a place for a thriving feminist movement. Feminists like the members of Pussy Riot have constantly tried to find their voice within the oppressive patriarchal system that is rampant throughout Russian society and government where women struggle to find a voice and representation. According to Holmgren (2013), “the Putin government has repackaged the patriarchy as conventionally and commercially masculinist, combining misogynistic posturing…with sentimental paternalism” (Holmgren, 537) which has had grave consequences for women in government and in a broader social context. After the downfall of the soviet regime, the transition to a more capitalist society …show more content…

This shows the patriarchal agenda of Putin’s government, as the lesser protections for women in the government lead to serious consequences for women’s rights. Even women senators in the Duma were for cutting back the minor restrictions that were written into law in 2016 against violence in the household. In an interview with Russian senator, Yelena Mizulina, stated “that one of the main problems in the country is not so much violence in families, as the rudeness, the cause of which she sees in the absence of "affection and respect, especially from women." (Human Rights Watch, 2017) which shows the patriarchal system that defends abusers and the government that supports them. Mizulina is the chairman on the Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs, which means that she is the main voice for women’s issues in the Duma. (Wilkinson, 368) Mizulina is a consistent voice of conservatism in the Duma, and her department has consistently made attempts to restrict women’s rights. In particular, the Duma Committee on Family, Women, and Children Affairs of which Mizulina is a member, made a “State Concept of Family Policy until 2025” which lays out the clear conservative values of the state in regards to women. For example, the plan propositions more restrictions on abortion, imposes taxes on divorce, and supports the church’s role in making decisions about familial matters. (Wilkinson, 369) This emphasis

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