THEME 4 SOVIET SOCIAL POLICY
4.1 WOMEN AND THE FAMILY
01) THE CHANGING STATUS OF WOMEN
● The Bolsheviks established a women’s branch of the communist party 1917
○ Called the Zhenotdel
○ Promoted the status of women
1917 DECREES
● Gave women greater freedom within marriage
● Divorce was made easier
○ However, few received financial aid from the father of their child
○ 70% of divorces were initiated by men, abandoning women who had become pregnant
● Abortion legalised
● Women were granted equal pay in December 1917
● Maternity leave established
SOVIET CONSTITUTION 1918
● Men and women were declared equal
● The legal status of women was put on an equal footing to that of men
○ This did not mean that their status in society had automatically improved
IMPACT OF CIVIL WAR
● Increase of women in the workforce
○ Despite increasing employment opportunities, women’s lives were often changed for the worse
● Over 70,000 women fought in the red army
○ Few held high ranks
● Millions of women were recruited into factories
○ Social provision for childcare was inadequate
● Impact of the Civil War was short lasting
○ Women were more likely to be unskilled and many lost their jobs as soon as soldiers came back
○ Women were unsuitable for heavy manual work
○ Women were less likely to stay in work due to maternity leave
○ War and famine (1921 to 1922) left many women homeless
ALEXANDRA KOLLONTAI
● Leading bolshevik figure in the early years of the regime
● First woman to be a member of government in Europe
● Member of the Central Committee
○ Able to influence policies towards women, family and health
● Head of the Zhendotel in 1920
ISLAMIC WOMEN
● Muslim areas of central asia were more reluctant to change
○ Polygamous, male dominated family was entrenched in the area
● Campaign against the veiling of women in 1927
○ Some success
● Opportunities for islamic women increased
● However the traditional islamic attitudes were slow to change and resistance was violent
○ Zhendotel meeting attacked by Muslim men with dogs and boiling water
WOMEN IN POLITICS
● Provisional government of 1917 had given women the vote for the first time
● 5% of the delegates of the Party congress were women in 1918
● 10% of party members
● 1932 women made up 16% of party membership
● Only 7 members of the central committee were women before WWII
● First woman to become candidate member of the top body within the party was Ekaterina Fursteva
, FAMILY CODE OF 1918
● Women were given new rights and freedoms
○ Divorce could be granted at the request of both men and women
■ Didn’t need evidence such as adultery
○ Abortion made legal
○ Créches encouraged
● These reforms were driven by the need to get women to work during the civil war
FAILURES:
● USSR held the highest divorce rate in Europe
● Family code was revised to make divorce even easier in 1926
● By 1926 50% of marriages ended up in divorce
● Abortion became normal
○ Reflected the shortage of contraception in cities
● In Moscow abortions outnumbered births by 3:1
02) CHANGES UNDER STALIN
In 1930 the Zhendotel was closed down, claiming that all of women’s issues had been resolved
IMPACT OF COLLECTIVISATION AND INDUSTRIALISATION
● Collectivisation meant that many men departed to towns and cities for better jobs
○ Some sent money back to their wives, however others deserted
● This meant that women had to work
○ No longer a sign of female liberation, but instead socialist duty
● 1928→ 3 million women in the labour force
● 1940→ 13 million women in the labour force
● Women dominated the light industry
● 1929 government reserved 20% of higher education places for women
● 40% of engineering students were female in 1940
○ Higher education improved the status of women
“THE GREAT RETREAT” OF 1936
● Divorce was made more expensive
○ Increased from 4 to 50 roubles
● Free mariages lost legal status
● Male homosexuality outlawed
● Tax on single people in order to encourage marriage
● Abortion outlawed
○ Except if the life of the mother was at risk
● More resources devoted to créches
○ Number of nursery places doubled between 1928 and 1930
● Two year prison sentences for fathers who did not pay towards the upkeep of their children
DURING WWII
● Most men at war therefore women has to provide the bulk of agricultural workforce
● 800,000 women in the armed forces
○ 89 women received the Soviet Union’s highest military award
■ Hero of the Soviet Union
● After the war many lost their jobs
● Women still expected to play the key role im looking after the home and their husbands
● Double burden put pressure on women + career progression difficult
03) CHANGES UNDER KHRUSHCHEV
● Double burden of working and taking care of the household
● By 1960, 49% of the workforce were women
● Grandmothers sometimes took the burden of housework so women could work
● Increased provision of social benefits
● Abortion re-legalised in 1955 to reduce the financial strain on the families
4.1 WOMEN AND THE FAMILY
01) THE CHANGING STATUS OF WOMEN
● The Bolsheviks established a women’s branch of the communist party 1917
○ Called the Zhenotdel
○ Promoted the status of women
1917 DECREES
● Gave women greater freedom within marriage
● Divorce was made easier
○ However, few received financial aid from the father of their child
○ 70% of divorces were initiated by men, abandoning women who had become pregnant
● Abortion legalised
● Women were granted equal pay in December 1917
● Maternity leave established
SOVIET CONSTITUTION 1918
● Men and women were declared equal
● The legal status of women was put on an equal footing to that of men
○ This did not mean that their status in society had automatically improved
IMPACT OF CIVIL WAR
● Increase of women in the workforce
○ Despite increasing employment opportunities, women’s lives were often changed for the worse
● Over 70,000 women fought in the red army
○ Few held high ranks
● Millions of women were recruited into factories
○ Social provision for childcare was inadequate
● Impact of the Civil War was short lasting
○ Women were more likely to be unskilled and many lost their jobs as soon as soldiers came back
○ Women were unsuitable for heavy manual work
○ Women were less likely to stay in work due to maternity leave
○ War and famine (1921 to 1922) left many women homeless
ALEXANDRA KOLLONTAI
● Leading bolshevik figure in the early years of the regime
● First woman to be a member of government in Europe
● Member of the Central Committee
○ Able to influence policies towards women, family and health
● Head of the Zhendotel in 1920
ISLAMIC WOMEN
● Muslim areas of central asia were more reluctant to change
○ Polygamous, male dominated family was entrenched in the area
● Campaign against the veiling of women in 1927
○ Some success
● Opportunities for islamic women increased
● However the traditional islamic attitudes were slow to change and resistance was violent
○ Zhendotel meeting attacked by Muslim men with dogs and boiling water
WOMEN IN POLITICS
● Provisional government of 1917 had given women the vote for the first time
● 5% of the delegates of the Party congress were women in 1918
● 10% of party members
● 1932 women made up 16% of party membership
● Only 7 members of the central committee were women before WWII
● First woman to become candidate member of the top body within the party was Ekaterina Fursteva
, FAMILY CODE OF 1918
● Women were given new rights and freedoms
○ Divorce could be granted at the request of both men and women
■ Didn’t need evidence such as adultery
○ Abortion made legal
○ Créches encouraged
● These reforms were driven by the need to get women to work during the civil war
FAILURES:
● USSR held the highest divorce rate in Europe
● Family code was revised to make divorce even easier in 1926
● By 1926 50% of marriages ended up in divorce
● Abortion became normal
○ Reflected the shortage of contraception in cities
● In Moscow abortions outnumbered births by 3:1
02) CHANGES UNDER STALIN
In 1930 the Zhendotel was closed down, claiming that all of women’s issues had been resolved
IMPACT OF COLLECTIVISATION AND INDUSTRIALISATION
● Collectivisation meant that many men departed to towns and cities for better jobs
○ Some sent money back to their wives, however others deserted
● This meant that women had to work
○ No longer a sign of female liberation, but instead socialist duty
● 1928→ 3 million women in the labour force
● 1940→ 13 million women in the labour force
● Women dominated the light industry
● 1929 government reserved 20% of higher education places for women
● 40% of engineering students were female in 1940
○ Higher education improved the status of women
“THE GREAT RETREAT” OF 1936
● Divorce was made more expensive
○ Increased from 4 to 50 roubles
● Free mariages lost legal status
● Male homosexuality outlawed
● Tax on single people in order to encourage marriage
● Abortion outlawed
○ Except if the life of the mother was at risk
● More resources devoted to créches
○ Number of nursery places doubled between 1928 and 1930
● Two year prison sentences for fathers who did not pay towards the upkeep of their children
DURING WWII
● Most men at war therefore women has to provide the bulk of agricultural workforce
● 800,000 women in the armed forces
○ 89 women received the Soviet Union’s highest military award
■ Hero of the Soviet Union
● After the war many lost their jobs
● Women still expected to play the key role im looking after the home and their husbands
● Double burden put pressure on women + career progression difficult
03) CHANGES UNDER KHRUSHCHEV
● Double burden of working and taking care of the household
● By 1960, 49% of the workforce were women
● Grandmothers sometimes took the burden of housework so women could work
● Increased provision of social benefits
● Abortion re-legalised in 1955 to reduce the financial strain on the families
