A day for Russian women.
Russian women think more than men, because they act less... they are more aware, less servile, and have more energy of thought than men. Heroism often comes naturally to them. (Empire of the Czar, the Marquis De Custine). On Women's Day, millions of Russian men celebrate Russian women. They cook breakfast, give flowers, and make champagne toasts to all women in their lives. Women's Day, an historic holiday from Czarist Russia has endured to current times. It is a day for men to demonstrate collective appreciation for their women. Unfortunately, Woman's Day is only one day in a year, and although Russian women appreciate this day, it is small relief from the hardships of the rest of the year.
Russian women workers.
In Soviet times Women's Day celebrated the heroic Russian women worker. In modern times, most Russian women would of course trade their heroism for less work. They completely reject the feminism of socialist women. Russia's first feminists such as Alexandra Kollontai, a leader in the first Soviet government, probably thought communism would free Russian women, allowing them to compete equally for jobs with men without the hindrance of work at home. In fact, this freedom only added work outside the home to their work at home. At the end of the communist era, 85% of Russian women were in the labor force. Of course work at home was not computed in that metric.
Russian women unemployment.
Russian women have been the big losers since the fall of the communist system. Russian women earn 70% as much as men. In 1996 only 35%. In some areas of Russia, women comprise 90% of the unemployed. In general there are three times more unemployed women than men. Eighty five percent of recent women college graduates cannot find employment. Marina Smirnova, a Russian woman from war-torn Georgia, knows just how hard it is to find employment in today's Russia. After fleeing Georgia Smirnova though a university graduate, spent months seeking employment in Kiev. When her friend called her from Moscow and asked her if she would take 'anything,' Smirnova jumped at the chance. After a short time as a nanny to a child, Smirnova now cleans apartments for foreigners. |
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