Marc Bennetts a journalist in Moscow reported on how Russia marked International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day, a public holiday in Russia, has long lost any connection to feminist issues. The 8th of March has become all about men giving women flowers and complementing them on their looks.
Vladimir Putin offered his own tribute to Russian women, “You find time for everything – at work and at home, and yet remain beautiful, bright, charming and the centre of gravity for the whole family, uniting it with your love, as well as your ability to inspire and support, comfort and console.”
Putin’s comments came after he told female police officers, “What does a young woman need to maintain her figure? Three things: a workout machine, a masseuse, and a suitor.” He honoured female mounted police officers by riding alongside them.
This year, a bomb disposal robot handed bunches of yellow tulips to young girls in an online video. In Yekaterinburg, servicemen posted perhaps the day’s oddest tribute to Russia’s women, posing with assault rifles alongside ballerinas in an empty metro station. The project was entitled “The strength of a man is in the tenderness and love of a woman.” In Crimea, little green men in fatigues mimicked those seen on the peninsula before it was annexed. They handed out flowers on the streets. In St. Petersburg, men crashed into a feminist coffee shop forcing flowers on women during a women's only event where reportedly one woman sprayed them with pepper spray.
Putin’s comments came after he told female police officers, “What does a young woman need to maintain her figure? Three things: a workout machine, a masseuse, and a suitor.” He honoured female mounted police officers by riding alongside them.
This year, a bomb disposal robot handed bunches of yellow tulips to young girls in an online video. In Yekaterinburg, servicemen posted perhaps the day’s oddest tribute to Russia’s women, posing with assault rifles alongside ballerinas in an empty metro station. The project was entitled “The strength of a man is in the tenderness and love of a woman.” In Crimea, little green men in fatigues mimicked those seen on the peninsula before it was annexed. They handed out flowers on the streets. In St. Petersburg, men crashed into a feminist coffee shop forcing flowers on women during a women's only event where reportedly one woman sprayed them with pepper spray.
The sad thing is, they don't see anything wrong with their behaviour. Domestic violence is a serious problem. About 8,000 Russian women are estimated to die annually from injuries caused by their partners. The situation was exacerbated in 2017 when Putin signed off on a law that partially decriminalised domestic violence. There were some attempts to promote women's rights on the day under the banner “It’s Not Her Fault” to raise funds for a charity that assists survivors of domestic abuse..
I'm afraid it's not much better in Ukraine. Ukraine, of course, celebrated similarly under communism. But last year, in 2018, the holiday was removed from the calendar. Women, who had been happy to be treated nicely on one day of the year became angry. Men who were used to doing something special on one day of the year got confused. And now the future of International Women's Day in Ukraine is uncertain. Why are women respected on just one day of the year? How about International Women's Year every year?
No comments:
Post a Comment