Who helps the degraded housewife? Comments on Vladimir Putin's demographic speech

Anna Rotkirch, Anna Temkina, Elena Zdravomyslova

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article analyses the new demographic programme that was announced by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in 2006. The main goal of this programme is to encourage fertility, especially the birth of a second child. New benefits should elevate the status of wome taking maternity leave, who might otherwise suffer from discrimination in the family. The housewife is considered to be dependent and 'degraded'. We argue that this demographic politics recalls continuity with soviet gender politics centred on the support of wage-earning working mothers. The programme provokes different critiques. Liberal critics argue that the programme is a populist one and it may have undesired economic and social consequences. Conservative critics want to encourage more traditional 'woman' and 'family' roles in society. Feminist critics argue that this politcs would reinforce both the inferior position of women on the labour market and gender imbalances on the symbolic level.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)349-357
Number of pages9
JournalEuropean Journal of Women's Studies
Volume14
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Demographic programme
  • Family
  • Gender contract
  • Gender politics
  • Maternal capital
  • Russia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gender Studies
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

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