The fight for women's rights in the ex-Soviet Union

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"In the stores, shoppers have to go through three lines—one to choose the merchandise, one to pay for it, and one to pick up their purchases. Shopping for a family of three takes an hour sm has broken rented contacts women's rights I actually existengaged in a of the world. It " an important 'the women's »ares the situar Soviet Union ries to assess ent is today in las been taken issue of Interjournal of the 'ourth Internaridged.

HULTZ in and training prehensively nion. In 1984il students and hool students d teacher trainion of women sercent, respeccent of magis¡ademics were ent of higher nen. Moreover, ghly respected ind teaching is as a miserably in made up 80 heads, and 37 i schools. percent of the of condoms—whose production was increased with the advent of AIDS— is inadequate (they tend to be either leaky or too thick). Moreover, a lot of women are so afraid of the effect the pill might have on their health that they refuse to use it. A typical remark is "the pill is a hormone preparation, and I think it's harmful." (Thalidomide is confused with drugs preventing ovulation, and the conse. quences of taking thalidomide are presented as the results of taking the contraceptive pill.) Women, however, do use the coil as a method of contraception.

Almost every woman in the ex-Soviet Union has had an abortion, usually from one to five times. But some have had as many as 15 abortions. Unless they pay for it themselves, they face a bloody and barbaric operation. It is now being stressed that every women has a right to anaesthesia both in abortions and births.

Babies are delivered exclusively in clinics. And in most births the availability of painkillers depends on readiness to pay. From many interviews and descriptions, it can be gathered that medical care and drugs can be had for the right price. Naturally, women are particularly bitter about this sort of corruption.

Although in much of the ex-Soviet Union unmarried couples living together is tolerated, marriage remains the acceptable norm. While formally only a type of registration, marriage has a romantic element expressed in a ceremony resembling a church service, with white dresses, dark suits, bouquets, music and speeches. Peter Turnley/Newsu there is a genetic difference between men and women. If men have to spend too much time in the kitchen, they will lose their masculinity."

What this little difference means for riaman non ha nauntad un no fallano since ready-made meals are rar On top of this, women oft have to spend an hour or tr caring for clothes, since sor children's clothes have to washed every day because th are in such short supply.

A woman worker with ch dren then needs at least anott half hour to make herself u since she has to be attracti Then, of course, she has to sleep. Afi such a day, it is easy to understand w women do not usually have the time 1 social or political activity. Saturday mig be the time for such activities, but it mainly washing day.

The laws that were passed in the e Soviet Union to protect women can seen in reality as laws that protect the po tion of men. The legislation spared m the discussion of their responsibility 1 raising children. Here also, as in a mo explicit sense under capitalism, wom have been part of the reserve army of labr The 1919 program of the Bolshevi considered equality in marriage and fami law to have been achieved. The ne demand in the program concerned "ideolo; cal and educational work" within the par The Bolsheviks demanded that in order 1 "women to be freed from the material bi dens of outdated housework, commun housing, public restaurants, wash-hous and daycare centers should be set up at ti time."

Deifying the family

Recent policy in the ex-USSR has n measured up to this demand either materi ly or in concept. To be sure, tl 1986-1990 five-year plan called for : increase in the quantity, and above all the quality, of services available. Mot over, the Law on State Enterprises of Ju 1987 explicitly takes up the social tasks enterprises. But the axis of all this "strengthening the family."

At the Eighth Congress of the Write Union, the secretary talked in his keync speech about the complexity of the mi riage problem, and decided to strike positive note: "There are also happy, to certain extent, even exemplary familie welded together by a present and enduri love. " It is suspicious to say the least, tt a prize was awarded to a story entitled: T Warmth of a Cosy Home.

At the Twenty-Seventh Congress of t CPSU [February 1986], Mikhail Gc bachev said: "We have to organize t practical activity of the state institutio and social organizations in such a way th they strengthen the family and its underpi nings. ...This is necessary to assure th dynasties of workers become rooted far a wide, to promote good family traditior and to educate the younger generation the experiences of their elders." The first signs of an independe woman's organization could be seen in ti 1070 samizdat nuhlication Women al