The Impact of Women's Policies on Social Changes in Stalin's Russia after 1928
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How significant were policies towards women amongst the social changes in Stalin’s Russia after 1928?
ESSAY
Policies towards women in Stalin’s Russia after 1928 played a significant role in the social changes that occurred during this period. These policies aimed to integrate women into various aspects of society, including education, employment, and politics. While there were positive developments in terms of gender equality and women's empowerment, there were also setbacks and limitations to these advancements.
On the positive side, women in Stalin’s Russia were given more opportunities for education, employment, and political involvement. They were encouraged to join the Communist Party and many women occupied junior positions within the party, which enabled them to wield some political power. By 1935, 42% of industrial workers were women, indicating a significant increase in female representation in the workforce. Women played a crucial role in the success of the Second and Third Five Year Plans, as they were trained as skilled workers in industries and gained management positions in collective farms. Women were also able to access services such as creches and kindergartens, which allowed them to work while also taking care of their families. Additionally, policies such as easier access to divorce and abortion on demand provided women with more reproductive rights and control over their own lives.
However, it is important to note that not all aspects of Stalin’s policies towards women were positive. As his rule progressed, women faced a reversal of some of the rights they had initially gained. The 1936 Family Law made divorce more difficult, limiting women's autonomy in their personal lives. Women continued to be assigned traditional roles, particularly in rural areas, and often received lower pay than their male counterparts. Moreover, women did not occupy senior positions within the Communist Party or government, indicating a lack of true gender equality at the highest levels of power.
In conclusion, while policies towards women in Stalin’s Russia after 1928 brought about significant advancements in gender equality and women's empowerment, there were also challenges and limitations that women faced. The positive changes in women's education, employment, and political participation were accompanied by setbacks such as restrictions on reproductive rights and the reinforcement of traditional gender roles. It is clear that policies towards women played a significant role in the social changes of this period, but they were not without their complexities and contradictions.
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How significant were policies towards women amongst the social changes in Stalin’s Russia after 1928? Explain your answer.
YES – Women were given equal opportunities in education, employment, and access to the Communist Party; many women occupied junior positions in the Communist Party and wielded some political power; by 1935 – 42% of industrial workers were women; hugely important to the success of the Second and Third Five-Year Plans and militarization increased; many women trained as skilled workers and gained management positions in industry and in collective farms – driving and repairing tractors, setting targets; creches and kindergartens allowed women to work; divorce made easier at first and abortion on demand; divorced fathers had to pay maintenance for their children etc.
NO – Women had many rights removed later in Stalin's rule; 1936 Family Law made divorce more difficult; women still kept many traditional roles, especially in the countryside and often had lower pay than men; women did not occupy senior positions in the Communist Party or government; more significant – Stalin's policies towards religion – only one in forty churches still held services due to atheism as official policy; persecution of other religions such as Islam and Judaism – only 1300 mosques in the USSR by 1939; music and arts heavily monitored and censored – socialist realism in art and sculpture; education controlled by the state and youth groups indoctrinated by Marxism – Young Pioneers; homosexuality made illegal; new nomenklatura became elite in Soviet society; managers and supervisors got access to better housing and other benefits; nationalities forced to ‘Russify’; allow collectivization and dekulakization – led to famine etc.