Detailed notes for A Level History, Pearson Edexcel option 1.E, covering Soviet Social Policy. These notes explore the impact of policies on Soviet society, including education, healthcare, women's rights, and ethnic minorities from Lenin to Gorbachev. Each policy's effect is clearly outlined, with...
4.1 WOMEN AND THE FAMILY
01) THE CHANGING STATUS OF WOMEN
● The Bolsheviks established a women’s branch of the communist party 1917
○ Called the Zhenotdel
○ Promoted the status of women
1917 DECREES
● Gave women greater freedom within marriage
● Divorce was made easier
○ However, few received financial aid from the father of their child
○ 70% of divorces were initiated by men, abandoning women who had become pregnant
● Abortion legalised
● Women were granted equal pay in December 1917
● Maternity leave established
SOVIET CONSTITUTION 1918
● Men and women were declared equal
● The legal status of women was put on an equal footing to that of men
○ This did not mean that their status in society had automatically improved
IMPACT OF CIVIL WAR
● Increase of women in the workforce
○ Despite increasing employment opportunities, women’s lives were often changed for the worse
● Over 70,000 women fought in the red army
○ Few held high ranks
● Millions of women were recruited into factories
○ Social provision for childcare was inadequate
● Impact of the Civil War was short lasting
○ Women were more likely to be unskilled and many lost their jobs as soon as soldiers came back
○ Women were unsuitable for heavy manual work
○ Women were less likely to stay in work due to maternity leave
○ War and famine (1921 to 1922) left many women homeless
ALEXANDRA KOLLONTAI
● Leading bolshevik figure in the early years of the regime
● First woman to be a member of government in Europe
● Member of the Central Committee
○ Able to influence policies towards women, family and health
● Head of the Zhendotel in 1920
ISLAMIC WOMEN
● Muslim areas of central asia were more reluctant to change
○ Polygamous, male dominated family was entrenched in the area
● Campaign against the veiling of women in 1927
○ Some success
● Opportunities for islamic women increased
● However the traditional islamic attitudes were slow to change and resistance was violent
○ Zhendotel meeting attacked by Muslim men with dogs and boiling water
WOMEN IN POLITICS
● Provisional government of 1917 had given women the vote for the first time
● 5% of the delegates of the Party congress were women in 1918
● 10% of party members
● 1932 women made up 16% of party membership
● Only 7 members of the central committee were women before WWII
● First woman to become candidate member of the top body within the party was Ekaterina Fursteva
, FAMILY CODE OF 1918
● Women were given new rights and freedoms
○ Divorce could be granted at the request of both men and women
■ Didn’t need evidence such as adultery
○ Abortion made legal
○ Créches encouraged
● These reforms were driven by the need to get women to work during the civil war
FAILURES:
● USSR held the highest divorce rate in Europe
● Family code was revised to make divorce even easier in 1926
● By 1926 50% of marriages ended up in divorce
● Abortion became normal
○ Reflected the shortage of contraception in cities
● In Moscow abortions outnumbered births by 3:1
02) CHANGES UNDER STALIN
In 1930 the Zhendotel was closed down, claiming that all of women’s issues had been resolved
IMPACT OF COLLECTIVISATION AND INDUSTRIALISATION
● Collectivisation meant that many men departed to towns and cities for better jobs
○ Some sent money back to their wives, however others deserted
● This meant that women had to work
○ No longer a sign of female liberation, but instead socialist duty
● 1928→ 3 million women in the labour force
● 1940→ 13 million women in the labour force
● Women dominated the light industry
● 1929 government reserved 20% of higher education places for women
● 40% of engineering students were female in 1940
○ Higher education improved the status of women
“THE GREAT RETREAT” OF 1936
● Divorce was made more expensive
○ Increased from 4 to 50 roubles
● Free mariages lost legal status
● Male homosexuality outlawed
● Tax on single people in order to encourage marriage
● Abortion outlawed
○ Except if the life of the mother was at risk
● More resources devoted to créches
○ Number of nursery places doubled between 1928 and 1930
● Two year prison sentences for fathers who did not pay towards the upkeep of their children
DURING WWII
● Most men at war therefore women has to provide the bulk of agricultural workforce
● 800,000 women in the armed forces
○ 89 women received the Soviet Union’s highest military award
■ Hero of the Soviet Union
● After the war many lost their jobs
● Women still expected to play the key role im looking after the home and their husbands
● Double burden put pressure on women + career progression difficult
03) CHANGES UNDER KHRUSHCHEV
● Double burden of working and taking care of the household
● By 1960, 49% of the workforce were women
● Grandmothers sometimes took the burden of housework so women could work
● Increased provision of social benefits
● Abortion re-legalised in 1955 to reduce the financial strain on the families
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