1.4b To what extent did the role of women and the family change between 1917 and 1985? Flashcards
Give the Russian proverb showing how women were treated badly in early Russia
“The more you beat your wife, the better your soup will taste”
What did Lenin describe marriage as?
A form of slavery
Why did women’s status start to change in the first place?
It was forced through war and industrialisation
Why was the change in status of women from the civil war only a short term change?
The returning men simply took back their jobs and retained their attitude
What was the name of the women’s branch of the Central Committee that the Bolsheviks introduced called?
Zhenotdel
What 3 things did the Bolsheviks push through to improve the status of women
- Divorce made easier
- Abortion legalised
- Removed the law saying a woman had to obey her husband
At the women’s congress in 1918, Lenin was cheered for the banning of which derogatory word towards women?
Baba
When was the principle for equal pay between men and women introduced?
1917
What was declared in the 1918 Soviet Constitution concerning women?
That men and women were equal
What percentage of divorces were initiated by men?
70%
How many women fought in the Red Army in the Civil War?
70,000
How did women in the countryside especially have a rough time?
Many men left them to find work in the city and so they were left alone to work the farms
When was Zhenotdel closed and why?
1930 because they claimed all women’s issues had been solved
Why did many women in the 1930s work?
There was little choice, it was seen as their socialist duty
Number of female workers:
1928 - __ million
1940 - __ million
Number of female workers:
1928 - 3 million
1940 - 13 million
Which industries did women dominate?
Light industry
Textiles
Parts of what famous structure were built by women? (Mentioned earlier in the course)
The Moscow underground
Which woman was used as a role model for all women?
Praskovia Angelina - tractor driver
In ____, __% of higher education places were reserved for women
1929
20%
By 1940, __% of ______ graduates were women
40%
Engineering
What did the ‘Wives of the Soviet Elite’ do?
Social work like making curtains or organising workplace productions
Why did women suffer in the countryside during WW2?
All of the men and horses were conscription into the army and many never returned
How many women served in the armed forces during WW2?
80,000
How many women won the ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’ award?
89