Russia: Abortions and Abuse

In the twenty-two years since the fall of the Soviet Union and the communist regime, Russia has been working to figure out where they are headed. This has raised issues for women. Education on birth control and the safety/availability of different methods is lacking. Also there seems to be a lot of what Americans and Europeans would call victim blaming when it comes to harassment at work and domestic violence. The way that Russian women view their rights is very different from how western women view theirs.

Like many European countries Russia has a decreasing population, with more people dying than being born. In 2006 Vladimir Putin brought the issue to attention in a national address, he reported that fertility rates were between 1.3 and 1.4 children per family (Erofeeva 1931). This situation is not predicted to improve at all because Russia’s population is only getting older with only 15% of the population under the age of fifteen (1931). Having such low numbers of youth alarmed the government, they decided as a way to combat low birth rates they would pay women to have more than one child. Paying out 365,000 Rubles or $13,000 for second child the government thought they had the perfect plan, but this incentive has not increased birth rates (1932).  In 2007 the government’s concern peaked and they stared to fund “camps” for youth to attend. At these camps the youth would get married and have sex in hope that they may procreate. Not surprisingly these camps are not helping boost birth rates either (Lucas). Despite government attempts to encourage having babies, abortion rates still remain high with almost one million performed a year (Erofeeva 1932). Up until 2003 abortions were lightly regulated, anyone could get an abortion until twelve weeks, and then from the twelfth week until the twenty-second, abortions were only performed in emergencies or in special social situations like desperate financial hardship and rape (1932).

A study following birth control trends from 1994 to 2003 discussed previous trends that showed abortion was one of the most favorable forms of birth control among women since they were made legal in the 1950’s (Perlman and McKee 40). In the 60’s sixteen percent of pregnancies were terminated through abortion and by 1988 Russia accounted for between ten and twenty percent of the world’s abortions. Not long after the fall of the Soviet Union a poll showed that only 14% of women between the ages of fourteen and sixty five had never had an abortion. By twenty-five the average woman would have three abortions (40). Suggestions were made by outside countries that Russia should start family planning programs, but less than half of gynecologists at the time knew anything about family planning, and only a third knew how oral birth control really worked. In addition the government gave little support to the idea of family planning (41).

Now the actual study followed many women from all over the country for nine years monitoring their habits in birth control use. Each year the survey reported that about 80% of women were sexually active and showed methods of birth control varied by age group. The one consistency between age groups was a decrease in intrauterine devices over the nine years (Perlman and McKee44). In some cases women chose not to use birth control because they thought it was uncomfortable, were planning on getting pregnant, or knew that in the worst case scenario they could simply get an abortion (45). Women in the United States give similar reasons for non use, but this shows that abortion is still very prevalent in Russia. The study showed that more women would like to be able to use oral contraceptives, but health care laws in Russia make clients reliable for all prescriptions unless they are hospitalized (48). This leaves buying birth control unaffordable for many women. Availability was a major hindering factor when it came to women using condoms or hormonal forms of birth control.

Starting in 2003 there was a push by both the government and the Eastern Orthodox Church to put major limitations on abortions so that fertility rates would go up (Erofeeva 1932). The church  got on board with this idea because they were opposed to all forms of birth control, including condoms, but to them abortion was the greatest of all evils (1932). The church suggested a waiting period for all abortions. 48-hours was suggested for aboortions between four and seven weeks as well as in the eleventh or twelfth weeks, but  a seven day waiting period was thought ideal if trying to get an abortion between weeks eight and eleven (1933). This disregarded the idea that by the time women go in for an abortion they have already thought it out. The government proposed that a married woman should have to get the consent of her husband to have an abortion (1932). Through research the government was able to support their case by finding that doctors often make mistakes in simple abortion procedures and that they still had no idea how family planning worked (1932). Unfortunately this shows us that after almost fifteen years the doctors had still not taken the time to learn anything on women’s health and family planning. Erofeeva makes a point in saying that “these restrictions will represent a major setback to women’s rights to exert control over their bodies and their lives” (1933). These laws are not helping women, but instead taking away their rights to their own bodies.

Another issue in Russia is blurred lines in terms of gender harassment at work. In the United States we clearly define harassment as:

“A crime that violates the inviolability of the private life of a person by way of pursuit, bothersome pestering and unwanted advances; generally committed with sexual motives” (Stuchevskaia 34). 

In Russia the only time harassment is mentioned in law it defines it as “coercion to force a person to engage in sexual intercourse or to engage in other acts of a sexual nature… by means of blackmail, the threat of destruction, or damage to or confiscation of property” (Stuchevskaia 46). This limits harassment only to having been raped and does not include things like unwanted touching or sexual language. Women in Russia feel what we as American’s call harassment is just part of life. In order to succeed in the workforce a woman needs to flirt with their boss a bit. Russian women say that if your boss is coming on to strong, that you must bring in your boyfriend, and if this does not work, a woman’s only choice is to quit her job (38). Women in this study were also asked how they would react and feel if their boss passed them over in a promotion in favor of his lover. The women’s reactions? That the lover deserved it, and that she did what she had to do to get the promotion (41-2). This only drives home the idea that for women sex appeal is the only way to success. Stuchevskaia found a theme in their work,  in all this talk of harassment it was inevitable that American ideas of harassment come up in the discussion (46-7). Russian women feel they have an advantage in being able to use their sex appeal and that because of the way the American court system exists we need to always be on our toes and looking out for our rights (47). In Russia, some factories have rights and regulations like those in America, but those factories are also westernized and the policies are not sitting well with the workers who are used to the way things were. Russian women seem to like the way their system works, only American think there is a problem.

Finally domestic abuse in Russia is high. Though government officials don’t think it is right to intervene in these what they call "personal affairs". In her research Janet Johnson looks at domestic abuse through concentration on Marina’s story. Divorced from her husband, Marina is still living in the same state subsidized house as her ex-husband. She is tormented physically and emotionally every day when she walks in the door (153). Marina has on several occasions called the cops for help, but they don’t feel they have a right to respond to her calls because battery of women is not in their jurisdiction (154). Often the police will not enter a house if it is not agreed on by all members of the household, even if the person in objection is the abuser (156). When women can get help from the cops, prosecutors will not look at the case because they feel domestic abuse does not concern them (157). No one of authority is at all willing to help these women. They are often told that they provoked the harassment and that they need to do everything they can to reconcile their marriages (160). In America we would call this victim blaming, but it is the norm in Russia. In a society ruled by men, women start to lose their voices; they are made to feel guilty for things they cannot control.  Reports say that 14,500 women are victims of domestic murder or attempted murder each year in Russia. For perspective this is two and half times more than the rate of domestic murder in the United States (154). Russia needs to take initiative to help their women. The few women’s shelters that truly help are rare and privately owned. Many state owned shelters are temporary and used to remove women from the situation so that the husband can cool off (160). But ANNA, the “Say No to Violence Association”, is a crisis center truly working to make a difference. They strive to educate the public and offer safety through hotlines and shelters (163). The change here needs to come from within. Russia needs to recognize its own power and work to use it to the best of its ability.

Russian women face many setbacks, but they are still holding strong. They are not broken. They have really strong opinions and ideas. Just because they continue to face oppression that doesn’t mean we can rule them out.

Works Cited

Erofeeva, Lyubov Vladimirovna. "Traditional Christian Values and Women's Reproductive Rights in Modern Russia-is a Consensus Ever Possible?" American Journal of Public Health 103.11 (2013): 1931-4. Web.

Johnson, Janet Elise. "Privatizing Pain: The Problem of Woman Battery in Russia." NWSA Journal 13.3 (2001): 153. Web.

Lucas, Edward. "Sex for the Motherland: Russian Youths Encouraged to Procreate at Camp."Mail Online. Daily Mail, 29 July 2007. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

Perlman, Francesca, and Martin McKee. "Trends in Family Planning in Russia, 1994–2003." Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health 41.1 (2009): 40-50. Web.

Stuchevskaia, O. "Harassment and Russian Women." Russian Social Science Review 52.2 (2011): 33-48. Web.