Yekaterina Lakhova: "Social experience of women should be implemented"

Saint Petersburg hosted the Eurasian Women's Forum recently. The event was attended by representatives from more than 80 countries, including the United States and the European Union. Member of the Federation Council committee for federal structure, regional policy, local government and northern affairs, the senator from the Bryansk region, chairman of the Women's Union of Russia Yekaterina Lakhova, told Vladimir Nesterov, the presenter of the program Tribune, about the forum and the women's movement in general.

- Yekaterina Filippovna, please tell us about the key moments of the forum.

- When the world is unstable, and when in one place then in another place there are wars, of course women's voices must always be heard. A woman stands for  peace, for harmony, for social welfare, she is worried about the future of her children. Therefore, the International Women's Forum was held under the slogan "Peace, concord, harmony, and social well-being." European countries tried to block the arrival of women to us, especially those who have a certain status. Nevertheless, representatives of political parties and women's organizations attended the forum. They were totally independent participants, a little opposing the authorities in the European countries, who received an opportunity to speak there.’

- What issues were discussed at the forum?

We discussed issues of health, family matters, humanitarian issues, problems of charity and media coverage in the section Women and Media. Because the image of a woman that is shaped by the media is also very important. We relied on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, ratified by our country in the days of the Soviet Union, and we became the legal successor of the convention. And we were one of the initiators of this Convention. Because the rights of women are infringed in different directions and areas in varying degrees all over the world. For example, 59-60% of students are girls now. And, as usual, women are learning better. Another thing is that in the future a woman will have a choice as to whether to make a career, or whether she is going to engage herself in her family, this is a woman’s right of choice. It would be better if the state allows and helps her to realize a career and give birth to 1-3 children. This requires a separate government policy for supporting women.

The Women's Union of Russia worked in all sections. The report of Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the Federation Council and the third-highest official in the state, was very important. It is important at such a difficult time when they are trying to isolate Russia in the world. Now, in many constituent parts of the federation similar forums will be held. But at the federal level, for example, the Union is working with the Polish organization "League of Polish Women." The delegation consisted of ten people, and Valentina Matviyenko even awarded the chairwoman of a regional branch of the League of Polish Women, Matthew Barbara, in the small town of Chikachinke for holding a song festival for the disabled and children for 20 years.

- The Polish mass media have an unfavorable attitude toward Russia. In general, there are anti-Russian moods in Poland. I know that at the Eurasian Women's Forum you were together with a Polish delegation, and Russian women have very close relations with the League of Polish Women. Could you tell us more about the Anna Herman festival, please?

- The League of Polish Women encouraged us to hold the festival about 3 years ago. They invited me to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the League of Polish Women. They had a completely different attitude to Russia than the chief executives of Poland, who say unpleasant things, destroy and demolish monuments, as well as how they worry about it. 

The first channel made a multi-serial film dedicated to Anna Herman. It was very successful in Poland. And it was very difficult to show it on TV. The rating was very high, and it was decided to show it twice. The current generation don’t know Anna Herman’s songs, but young people began to take an interest in Anna Herman. 

The first competition was held in Warsaw, and those 10 people who were selected in Russia participated in Warsaw, together with 10 Polish people. They lived together for two weeks and cooperated with each other. They performed in a theater on the day of the national holiday. I was always afraid that people would throw apples at me when I am on stage. But everything was fine. The atmosphere was very good. Moreover, the second concert was in the small town of Chikachinke. 

This year we are to receive Polish women. The selection has already been made, but Belarusians joined us this year. So 20 people will perform. Four of them are Belarusians. We have a preliminary agreement to hold the festival in Kaliningrad, which borders Poland. Moreover, it is not far from Belarus.

These contacts are very important. With the help of such contacts, our entrepreneurs from Ufa stay in contact with Polish entrepreneurs. The enterprise is headed by women there. "One women says that she has a shortage of cloth. Another says that she has a lot of cloth." So you can exchange. There are no obstacles. So I think that the Anna Herman festival is a continuation of our International Women's Forum, but within cultural ties. In the near future we may hold such meetings with the help of our educational contacts. The Chinese Federation of Women Artists has joined our cooperation. In general, the Chinese Women's Federation is a very strong organization. It is a real section. And they travelled there with a proposal to make a traveling exhibition of pictures for us and them. So now we are trying to develop these humanitarian contacts.

- The UN Committee on all types of discrimination against women is to take place in Geneva on October 27th. A corresponding document was signed by 188 countries, except for the United States, which hasn’t ratified it. What can we expect in Geneva? And why have the Americans still not ratified the document?

- The Americans have not even ratified the Convention on the Rights of Children, as they believe that everything is alright. They can only teach us, and how the rights of children are violated there, but at the same time they don’t take into account women’s rights. They don’t see it, living with double standards.

As for the Convention, it is a periodic report, which is done once every four years. Our country has delivered this report for many years. It will be more difficult in the current situation, as now we can see a biased attitude toward Russia, even if we take those issues that we had previously considered. We received a list of preliminary questions regarding Crimea, which may arise as a legal assessment of women’s rights, which were mainly posed by organizations financed from abroad. They criticize the manner in which this integration happened [Crimea as a part of Russia]. There are always some special cases: Nadezhda Savchenko and Pussy Riot.

However, there are sections in the convention where we will specifically discuss where rights are infringed. For example, domestic violence. But the draft law has already been initiated by social organizations. They have already held discussions, and harmonization is being carried out in the government and the presidential administration. But even if we accept it, it does not mean that we will get rid of domestic violence. The most important thing is that women should be aware about how they can protect their rights. We can assume that this day passed in vain if a woman goes to a police station and retracts her statement.

Despite all our efforts, women still don't have enough legal literacy. I think after two or even three generations women will have acquired it. 

Indigenous and not numerous peoples, whose rights are supposedly violated, are also an important matter. Certainly, there are some violations, as in any other country and any other sphere. But I don’t see that we have systemic violations. 

Differentiated payment is a really painful issue. A woman receives only 65% ​​in comparison with a man’s wage.

- But this problem is urgent not only in Russia?

- This difference is much smaller in European countries. We have 65%, and they have only 10-15%.

There are only issues in respect of legalization of prostitution, protection of prostitutes’ rights, as well as in respect of gay marriage and protection of their rights. We prevent them from holding demonstrations. But this is our problem, as it is our state, ideology, mentality and traditions.

- Will we stick to a defensive position in respect of a number of such issues?

- We will. Representatives of our regional organizations of Altai Territory and the Amur Region were at a meeting of the Human Rights Commission of the OSCE. Nobody tried to listen to them there. Nobody is interested in the real state of things. The main credo is that Russia is an aggressor, an invader... 

- Let's discuss such a topic such as women in power, discuss the specifics of the regions of the Russian Caucasus. You assumed that the largest number of women represented in government is in Chukotka (48%) in comparison with the Caucasus regions...

- The parliament of Kabardino-Balkaria is headed by a woman. Her name is Tatyana Yegorova, I know her very well, she was the deputy of the State Council. Six regional parliaments are headed by women now. The 13 largest cities in Russia are headed by women. Three women are governors. But it is a difficult matter in the Caucasus.

- Are there any areas without women in either in governments or in parliaments?

- No, we have no such regions. But the Orenburg region and Novosibirsk lag behind. I believe that it mainly depends on the activity of women's organizations in the regions. Men should understand that they will only be successful in power, if some areas, especially social ones, are headed by women.

Harmony can be achieved only when we discuss any issue together. A woman passes everything through herself. Women’s social experience should be implemented. Women take an active part in decision-making in Stavropol Territory, the Rostov region and Krasnodar Territory. But the situation is absolutely different in Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia and Karachaevo-Cherkessia.

The Caucasus will have to explain it in Geneva, as a noticeable age difference was fixed during marriage registrations. But this is also a woman’s right. If her husband is 30-40 years older and she agrees, so it's a tradition. 

- If I am not mistaken, a traditional marriage in Udmurtia is when a man is younger than a women by about 10-12 years. So women "build" a husband according to their pattern and preferences. I don’t know how this tradition works in our modern society, but it exists.

- Women are very morally strong in Udmurtia.

- What the key activities of the Union of Russian Women are planned in the near future?

We are grant operators, so we will sum up, select applications, look at the quality of projects. Next week we are will begin holding a school of civic activity. We are training personnel from different regions for a four-day course. In November, we are to hold not only the Anna Herman Festival, but also the eighth Festival of Theaters of Small Forms. Theaters from 20 regions will visit different institutions for children. In December we are to organize a great forum in St. Petersburg as a continuation of the Eurasian Women's Forum in order to discuss proposals, which were made there. Many events are taking place in parallel in different constituent parts of the federation. Next week I am to travel to Ulyanovsk. A forum will take place there, and I must say that governor Sergei Morozov actively supports us. Many regions of the Volga region should learn from his example about how to align social policy.