Gender Expertise in Russian Legislation Providing

Real Equality in Rights and Opportunities
Although men and women today have equal rights and should have the equal opportunity guarantied under the Constitution of the RF, discrimination is on the rise. The sharp difference in men's and women's income, the high level of unemployment among women, the virtual absence of women at the higher levels of decision-making, the rise in violence towards women, non-payment of child support, the lack of resources for programs in defense of expectant mothers and children; this is a very incomplete listing of the problems which may be considered violations of women's rights in our country.
This is a result not only of the depressing state of our economy; the legal situation also plays a large role. It is not sufficient to simply include statutes prohibiting discrimination in our legislation. The State must create a mechanism for protecting the rights of women, and include in legislation statutes for taking appropriate measures in cases of discrimination towards women, and introduce a system for bringing such complaints to court.
This work was begun in the previous session of the State Duma: The Family Codex was adopted, laws were introduced on the prevention of violence in the family, on citizens' reproductive rights, and work was begun on changing and updating the codex of labour laws. The VI State Duma should preserve continuity in its examination of such questions, and place the above-mentioned legislation at the top of its agenda. So that this serious and voluminous work will be performed seriously and properly, the State duma should perform it in close cooperation with private women's organizations and independent research centres that have experience in social work, and expertise in gender legislation.
The phrase "gender expertise" in legislation signifies the need for expertise in accordance with Russia's ratification of international documents. At present, there exist some fifty UN international conventions and declarations in defense of human and women's rights. In the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), and in the documents of the World-wide Conference on Human Rights (1993) and the Declaration and Platform of the VI World-wide Conference on the Status of Women (1995), the question of women's rights being inseparable from human rights was posed. They are on the same level of social and political rights proclaimed in the UN Charter, the International Bill of Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the UN Convention of 1979, there is indeed an understanding of discrimination against women; and concrete measures are listed which Russia should adopt, having ratified it in 1981. The convention leaves behind the narrow conception of formal equality, and sets as its goal equality of opportunity. In other words, the expediency of adopting such special measures should be evaluated in consideration of the real presence of discriminatory practises.
We urge the State Duma to work with us in devising a means of bringing gender expertise to all legislation. This can only be formed on the basis of joint efforts of the government and women's organizations.

This article is based on a speech to the deputies of the VI State Duma, signed by more than forty women's organizations.

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