VZCZCXRO6947
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #1653/01 1741503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231503Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3943
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 001653 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KDEM KWMN SOCI RS
SUBJECT: WOMEN IN MOSCOW CITY LEADERSHIP: AN UPHILL BATTLE 
 
REF: MOSCOW 1647 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary:  As elsewhere in Russia, women in Moscow 
are underrepresented in high-level positions in politics.  On 
the whole, women do not have equal opportunities as men to 
run for office because they lack the necessary financial and 
administrative means and have difficulty overcoming Russian 
gender stereotypes.  Although women are for the most part 
unable to contend for elected positions, they are politically 
active and occupy leading roles in non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs).  This cable is the second in a series 
focusing on women in Russia.  End Summary. 
 
Russia,s Women,s Movement Now Versus in the Early 1990s 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Since the early 1990s, the intensity of the women's 
movement in Russia has fluctuated, and in recent years public 
discourse about women's rights and gender equality has 
lessened.  In the early 1990s, after the collapse of the 
Soviet Union, many internationally-funded NGOs promoted an 
enhanced role for women in politics.  Today, compared to 
other developed nations, Russia is lagging on women's 
participation in politics.  Despite the fact that Russian 
women on average are more educated than men, they encounter 
enormous barriers advancing to top political positions. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Dr. Galina Mikhaleva, Chair of the opposition 
Yabloko party's Gender Faction, told us May 20 that the 
women's movement in Russia has declined since the 1990s and 
that "the women's political situation is much worse now than 
it was 15 years ago."  In her view, the deteriorating 
political climate is linked to the status of women in that 
the environment is now less democratic: "There is no real 
free speech in Russia and no real political activity exists, 
as can be seen by the fact that there is no political 
competition in the elections -- everyone knows in advance 
exactly who will win."  Svetlana Yakimenko, the Director at 
Project Kesher, an international NGO that focuses on women, 
told us May 21 that women's groups in Moscow were previously 
active, but about four years ago they became very passive and 
many faded away.  Mikhaleva attributed the drop in the 
attention to securing women's participation to the existing 
patriarchal leadership structure; tax pressure on NGOs; a 
shift in donor priorities; organizations being expelled from 
Russia; and the Russian government supporting only those NGOs 
under its control, while creating obstacles for the rest. 
Yakimenko pointed out, however, that activities do still 
exist, such as when the second "All Russian Women's Congress" 
met in Moscow in November 2008 as 1,000 women celebrated the 
progressive forum's 100-year anniversary, and even Medvedev 
sent an official letter welcoming the delegates. 
 
Women Leaders in the Moscow Government 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  The problems concerning women's political mobility 
are evident in the Moscow City government.  Women are 
underrepresented in political office in both the Moscow City 
Duma and the Moscow government.  The women leaders generally 
do not have a great deal of responsibility.  The following 
data illustrate their numbers and roles: 
 
--Moscow City Duma:  Six of the 35 deputies are women. In the 
Duma, they serve on the committees responsible for culture, 
sport and youth; state building and self-governance; science 
and education; health and healthcare; ecology politics; 
security; and legislation. There are certain "power" 
committees, such as the budget and finance committee, on 
which women do not have a seat. 
 
--Moscow Regional Duma: Four of 50 Duma members are women, 
and they work in the following committees:  labor and social 
policy; education, culture, sport, youth and tourism; law, 
power, and public relations; and healthcare. 
 
--Moscow City government: There are only two high-ranking 
women in the entire Moscow City government:  Lyudmila 
Shvetsova, the only woman out of eight total deputy mayors, 
is a well-known first deputy to Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. 
Irina Raber is a Minister of the Moscow City Government in 
the North-East Administrative City District. 
 
--In the Moscow Regional government:  Five of 26 high-level 
officials are women.  They work in the these areas:  culture; 
social protection; finance; education; ecology and natural 
resources. 
 
Men Dominate the Top Echelons of Political Power 
 
MOSCOW 00001653  002 OF 003 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶5. (SBU)  According to Article 8 of the Federal Law "On 
Political Parties," Russian political parties must include 
both men and women who should have "equal opportunities" to 
be represented in their governing bodies and candidate lists 
for elected positions.  Yabloko's Mikhaleva noted, however, 
that the leaders of all seven political parties in Russia 
(four in the State Duma, plus Yabloko, Pravoe Delo, and 
Patriots of Russia) are men.  In the early 1990s, there were 
women leaders in several political movements that have since 
disappeared.  Ella Pamfilova, currently the head of the 
Presidential Council on Human Rights and Civil Society, led 
the Women of Russia political party, which later dissolved. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  The percentage of women in the State Duma of the 
Russian Federation is slightly higher than that of the Moscow 
City Duma.  The State Duma consists of 450 seats, filled from 
federal lists submitted by political parties or blocs.  Today 
63 women, or 14 percent of the total, are members.  Mikhaleva 
told us that women encounter difficulties trying to get on 
these party lists.  Often women who do make it onto lists are 
figureheads, as opposed to serious political leaders, or they 
are replaced later by male representatives.  According to 
Mikhaleva, the women serving in the Duma owe their seats to 
active participation in the dominant United Russia party, or 
to name appeal due to prior careers, such as modeling or 
sports.  She argued, "These women do not play a real role, 
and they discredit women; they are only in the State Duma for 
their beauty."  Likewise, Gyulnara Suleymanova, the Director 
General of the International Fund of Businessmen, agreed and 
told us May 21 that it is "embarrassing that gymnasts are in 
politics!  Women should not sit in the government like 
matryoshkas!" 
 
¶7. (SBU)  Svetlana Aivazova, Senior Researcher at the Russian 
Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology, disagreed.  She 
told us June 9 that the core of the women in the State Duma 
are 45-60 years old, most of whom are experienced, educated 
former politicians who held high positions in previous State 
Dumas or served at ministries or in regional parliaments 
during the Soviet era.  Thus, they were able to marshal the 
necessary administrative resources behind them to get into 
power.  Aivazova told us that most of the women currently 
serving in the State Duma are regional elites, most of whom 
are from cities other than Moscow or St. Petersburg.  She 
argued that young women and women over age 60 encounter the 
most obstacles to rising in politics.  Like Mikhaleva, she 
noted that few female Duma deputies have a business 
background, with most trading in their previous careers as 
athletes, actresses and ballerinas.  Aivazova observed that 
the number of female Duma deputies has been steadily 
increasing, but their qualifications are declining, since the 
majority of the women no longer represent democratic values 
or civil society. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  A few women have high posts in the Presidential 
Administration.  According to Aivazova, most of them rose in 
the ranks based on cronyism.  It should be noted, however, 
that Russian women have made serious runs for the presidency. 
Galina Starovoitova, who was murdered in 1998, was the first 
Russian woman candidate.  In 2000, Ella Pamfilova 
unsuccessfully ran for president, followed by Irina Khakamada 
in 2004.  There was no female candidate in the 2008 
presidential elections. 
 
¶9. (SBU)  In the 83 Russian regions, few women have been 
appointed to high level office.  On the regional level, there 
are two different election systems:  party list and combined 
single mandate and party list.  The party lists, identical to 
the kind and concept used for election to the State Duma, are 
usually headed by men.  The combined single mandate and party 
list system is also made up mostly of men because the expense 
of running for office excludes women who generally lack 
access to the necessary financial and administrative 
resources.  Mikhaleva argued that for the most part, only 
people with huge businesses can run.  There is only one woman 
governor in all of Russia, Valentina Matviyenko of St. 
Petersburg.  Matviyenko used to be the only female minister 
in the federal government, but now three out of 17 ministers 
are women.  There are some women mayors, but they are most 
often seen in small towns.  Yakimenko told us that for the 
most part, women are found working in lower paying 
workplaces, such as hospitals and schools. 
 
Women Leaders in NGOs 
--------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU)  The non-profit sector offers an encouraging 
 
MOSCOW 00001653  003 OF 003 
 
 
contrast, although it is one of the lowest paid sectors. 
Russian women are very active in NGOs, and they often have 
high positions.  For instance, The Union of Soldiers' Mothers 
Committee, GOLOS, the Moscow Helsinki Group, and Civic 
Assistance all have prominent women leaders.  Yabloko's 
Mikhaleva told us that about 95 percent of NGO leaders in 
Russia are women.  Despite their significant leadership 
roles, however, NGO leaders receive poor salaries.  In 
Moscow, the statistics are slightly lower, but women still 
predominate. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11. (SBU)  As in many other developed nations, Russian women 
face obstacles in rising to top positions.  A less than 
transparent political system further hinders women's ability 
to advance in politics.  As Russia's political climate 
becomes less democratic, there is much less accountability 
and commitment to equality and fair treatment of women.  In 
such a challenging environment, Russian women run the risk of 
sliding backwards rather than advancing toward full equality 
in political participation. 
BEYRLE