Press Release
Report on Assessment of Russia’s Compliance with CEDAW
http://www.abanet.org/ceeli/publications/cedaw/home.html
Research conducted by the Gender Justice Program (Moscow) of the American Bar Association’s Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA CEELI) has found that there is a high level of tolerance for gender inequalities in Russia. Little government attention is paid to such issues as women’s unequal representation in politics and governmental service, widespread violations of women’s labor rights, sexual harassment or domestic violence.
ABA CEELI Moscow announces the release of a report which assesses Russia’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report, based on findings gathered through over 180 interviews in 32 cities and towns across the Russian Federation, analyses the legal protections available to women in Russia as well as the extent to which each article of CEDAW is being implemented in reality.
The principle of gender equality is widely incorporated in Russian law, yet discrimination against women is common in Russia, both in governmental and private entities. At present under 10% of parliamentarians in the State Duma are women. Few women are appointed to political office in Russia. There are no female ministers at the federal level, and where women do head ministries they tend to be appointed to offices that are concerned with social protection. Of all the Russian regions, only one is governed by a female leader.
Despite prohibitions on unequal treatment on the basis of sex in the field of labor, women face discrimination in the hiring process, promotion and in remuneration. Employers often refuse to hire women based on the notion that women’s family responsibilities will interfere with their work. Violations of their women’s rights related to pregnancy and maternity leave as well as childcare benefits are not uncommon. Due to segregation of the labor sphere across occupations and within the employment hierarchy, women’s earnings are on average 64% of men’s. Women’s registered unemployment rates are high across the country. Large numbers of women work in the informal sector which is characterized by a lack of health insurance or pensions schemes.
While improvements to maternal healthcare have resulted in a decrease in the maternal mortality rate, other indicators of women’s reproductive health are less positive. Abortion remains the most common form of contraception, family planning is not a part of the required school curriculum and women often receive little information about childbirth. In contrast to an official policy to strengthen the family, the government has not created the necessary conditions that would encourage women to have children. Affordable childcare facilities that once were connected to one’s place of work are widely closing or being transferred to the commercial sphere. Child benefits, paid by the State, are insufficient in today’s economy and, furthermore, are frequently delayed or not paid at all. HIV/AIDS rates are increasing in Russia, in particular among the female population.
Gender-based violence remains an acute problem for Russian women. Violence, in the form of domestic violence, rape and sexual harassment, is widespread yet has elicited minimal State attention. Surveys indicate that psychological and physical violence in marriage is not uncommon. For example, it has been reported that 56% of women have been threatened with physical acts or were victims of violence at least once by their husbands. Almost a quarter of the same women had experienced sexual violence, and approximately 80% encountered psychological violence. It is well-known that rape is underreported in Russia, in part due to the stigmatization that victims face when they come forward. Women report that sexual harassment in the workplace is so common that it is almost perceived of as the “norm.” Aside from a lack of legislation that would address the specifics of gender-based violence, the notion that violence against women is a “private” matter is widespread in the law enforcement structure, the justice system and among the general population.
Stereotypes are pervasive in Russian society, resulting in strongly-held views about the traditional roles of men and women. Women are considered primarily responsible for childcare and family responsibilities, which has a profound impact on their ability to advance in the public sphere- in politics, government postings and leadership positions at work, for example. Gender-role stereotypes are reinforced in schools, by the mass media and even by government-led initiatives which focus on women’s reproductive functions, to the exclusion of other pressing issues.
ABA CEELI is concerned that widespread gender discrimination in many spheres negatively affects the whole of Russian society. The status of women in the society reflects the general human rights situation in the country and impacts the family, children, and the demographic situation. ABA CEELI hopes that its report will be a useful resource to the Russian government, NGOs, legal professionals, academics and individual citizens in their efforts to assess and improve equality between men and women and ensure compliance with Russia’s international legal obligations.
To download the report in English or Russian: http://www.abanet.org/ceeli/publications/cedaw/home.html
For more information about ABA CEELI’s programs visit: http://www.abaceeli.org
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