Russia

The lives of women in the Russian Federation in the 21st century are shaped by multiple legacies (demographic, ecological, economic, and social) bequeathed by 70 years of communism in the country's recent past and by Russia as a country, making the difficult and simultaneous transitions from an industrial to a postindustrial society and from a centrally planned economy to market capitalism. Although literacy and employment rates for Russian women are among the highest in the world, the gendered wage gap between men and women and the degree to which women are underrepresented in politics in Russia are also very high. Reproductive and child health, trafficking of women, domestic violence, and questions of family stability also remain important issues for Russian women, as does the work/family ...