Changing Status of Women Flashcards
What is Zhenotdel?
Set up by Lenin
- Women’s department of communist party
Who is Alexandra Kollontai
Head of Zhenotdel
Believed innate differences between man and women:
Recruited women to work in orphanages and Creches to fulfil their ‘natural nurturing role’
Effect on NEP on social life of women
- Creches closed
- Women in industry sacked to free up jobs for men
- Widespread unemployment for Women + limited gov benefits
What did women turn to as a job during NEP
Many forced to work as prostitutes in 1920’s
Estimated that 39% of urban men used prostitutes in 1920’s
What was a dramatic change in Stalins Industry for women?
Free childcare to free women of domestic duties
Women joined industrial labour force in large numbers due to demands of 5 year plan
- 10M joined labour force by 1940
- Increase female labour force more than 300%
What was the inequality in the workforce between men and women?
- Women only paid 60-65% of mens wages
- Subjected to physical and verbal abuse in factories
- Women tended not to get promotions
How many industrial jobs went to women during the 1960’s
45%
What were women’s restrictions in 1960’s
- Work in light industry, intensive low skill, textile production
- Heavy manual labour
During 1960’s what type of new jobs opened up?
Administrative work
74% of people employed in clerical positions were women
What type of jobs did women dominate by 1985?
- 70% of medical doctors
- 75% employees in universities
- 65% employed in art & culture
Where did a large proportion of women work at?
countryside, working in agriculture
What did women do in the countryside
provide agricultural labour on farms
responsible for household chores too
What did Khrushchev recruit women for
Virgin Land Scheme:
women to act as:
- milkmaids
- Gardeners
- To start families
NOT MACHINERY (emphasis on manual labour)
How were women treated in the Virgin Land Schemes
Underpaid:
By 1970 72% of lowest paid Soviet farmers were women
