Gender strategies of the Russian Federation
22 October 2002
Russian-Canadian joint conference Women of United Russia, organized by the Administration of Ivanovo region and Ivanovo State University with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development and the Confederation of Business Women of Russia, took place on October 22-23 in Ivanovo. Irina Melekh, Gender Focal Point represented the ILO Moscow Office at this conference.
Notwithstanding the declared title of the conference and the place of its organization (Ivanovo with the textile industry prevailing is traditionally considered “women’s” city), the participants of the conference did not confine themselves only to the issues of the situation with women and women’s employment. The Gender Strategy of the Russian Federation was for the first time presented at the forum. It was prepared in the framework of a Russian-Canadian project by a group of Russian experts under the direction of the Ministry of Labour, which is, a considerable contribution to the promotion of the principle of equal rights and opportunities of men and women to the overall state policy level.
First Deputy Minister Ms. G. Karelova underlined that this concept is not a direct reflection of the existing National plan on women’s state improvement for 2001-2005, which can be considered as one of the pilot currants. The gender strategy should become an instrument of establishment of the state gender policy, the main aim of which is to assist sustainable development of Russian society as a whole on the basis of today’s views on “social justice in distribution of roles between men and women in the field of family and industrial relations, political and public life, work and business activity, informational sphere…”.
As the conference was attended not only by the representatives of the federal bodies of legislative and executive power but also by the representatives of scientific circles, non-governmental organizations and business, there were two round tables organized – “Gender education as a factor of sustainable development of Russia” and “Gender aspect of business: problems and perspectives”. Both round tables were very active and informal, which gave the opportunity for participants to speak and collect interesting and sometimes even unique information on how the issues of gender education and women’s entrepreneurship are solved in Ivanovo region. For instance, the research, devoted to the gender expertise of schoolbooks can undoubtedly become of the starting points in the projects of the Ministry of Education on the revision of training materials. And that socially responsible policy, which is implemented by the management of many small and medium-sized enterprises of the region should be used as a successful example of socially responsible way of business not only on the regional but also on the federal level.
In accordance with the Programme of Cooperation between the ILO and the Russian Federation for 2002-2003, the ILO Moscow Office together with the Ministry of Labour, trade unions and employers and with active participation of civil society institutions is planning to organize a broad discussion of the new gender strategy project in the regions of Russia. This will give the regions the opportunity not only to participate in the discussions of the federal gender policy concept but also to work out regional plans of actions for its practical implementation. The representatives of the Canadian project, in the framework of which the Ivanovo conference was organized, fully supported the intentions of the ILO Moscow office and expressed their readiness to become one of the ILO partners in the planned project.
Notwithstanding the declared title of the conference and the place of its organization (Ivanovo with the textile industry prevailing is traditionally considered “women’s” city), the participants of the conference did not confine themselves only to the issues of the situation with women and women’s employment. The Gender Strategy of the Russian Federation was for the first time presented at the forum. It was prepared in the framework of a Russian-Canadian project by a group of Russian experts under the direction of the Ministry of Labour, which is, a considerable contribution to the promotion of the principle of equal rights and opportunities of men and women to the overall state policy level.
First Deputy Minister Ms. G. Karelova underlined that this concept is not a direct reflection of the existing National plan on women’s state improvement for 2001-2005, which can be considered as one of the pilot currants. The gender strategy should become an instrument of establishment of the state gender policy, the main aim of which is to assist sustainable development of Russian society as a whole on the basis of today’s views on “social justice in distribution of roles between men and women in the field of family and industrial relations, political and public life, work and business activity, informational sphere…”.
As the conference was attended not only by the representatives of the federal bodies of legislative and executive power but also by the representatives of scientific circles, non-governmental organizations and business, there were two round tables organized – “Gender education as a factor of sustainable development of Russia” and “Gender aspect of business: problems and perspectives”. Both round tables were very active and informal, which gave the opportunity for participants to speak and collect interesting and sometimes even unique information on how the issues of gender education and women’s entrepreneurship are solved in Ivanovo region. For instance, the research, devoted to the gender expertise of schoolbooks can undoubtedly become of the starting points in the projects of the Ministry of Education on the revision of training materials. And that socially responsible policy, which is implemented by the management of many small and medium-sized enterprises of the region should be used as a successful example of socially responsible way of business not only on the regional but also on the federal level.
In accordance with the Programme of Cooperation between the ILO and the Russian Federation for 2002-2003, the ILO Moscow Office together with the Ministry of Labour, trade unions and employers and with active participation of civil society institutions is planning to organize a broad discussion of the new gender strategy project in the regions of Russia. This will give the regions the opportunity not only to participate in the discussions of the federal gender policy concept but also to work out regional plans of actions for its practical implementation. The representatives of the Canadian project, in the framework of which the Ivanovo conference was organized, fully supported the intentions of the ILO Moscow office and expressed their readiness to become one of the ILO partners in the planned project.