Russian Women in Public: From Organized Activism through Democratic Euphoria to New Political Models

Abstract

The article provides an overview of the forms of organized women‟s activism in Russia from its origins until the present day. This includes definitions of different types of women‟s organizations, their role in women‟s socialization in Russia, the dynamics of their development, as well as an analysis of the influence of the Western women‟s movement on the origins of women‟s NGOs. Special attention is also given to the new forms of women‟s organizations in modern Russia, their goals, and their working strategies.

Keywords

• women‟s activism
• political socialization
• zhenotdely (women‟s departments of the communist party)
• zhensovety (women‟s councils)
• committee of soviet women
• women‟s ngos
• independent women‟s movement
• third sector