JOHN MARONE, KYIV
THE UKRAINIAN WOMAN
On March 8, Ukraine celebrates International Women’s Day. Days before the official holiday are marked in the capital Kyiv, one can see men rushing to and from with bouquets of flowers bought from the ubiquitous street vendor.
Although March 8 is a day off for all Ukrainians, men are under obligation to spoil their wives, mothers, sisters, coworkers and lovers by all means.
A casual glance at Ukraine’s work force will explain why. Not only do women comprise the majority of Ukraine’s waitresses, secretaries, shop clerks, administrators and telephone operators, as is the case in most countries, they also do most of the dirty work.
You don’t have to go to a poor rural area of Ukraine to see women performing backbreaking physical labor. There are plenty of examples in bustling Kyiv, where middle-aged matrons with leather faces and strong hands sweep the streets and scrub the floors, while their male counterparts watch idly from a truck or in the capacity of a security guard.
There’s something very Socialist, if not Soviet, about all this. Not surprisingly, Women’s Day is celebrated primarily in the former eastern bloc – from Vietnam and Mongolia to Belarus and Bosnia.
But ironically, Women’s Day was first observed in the United States, on February 28, 1909, albeit on an initiative by the American Socialist Party. The idea emerged from recognition of the poor working conditions experienced by women caught up in the industrial revolution. It soon developed into the full-fledged feminism that we know today in the West.
The emancipation of Ukrainian and other east-bloc women, however, was derailed by World War Two, which left eastern Europe war torn and short of men.
Women perhaps bear a disproportionate amount of the hardship in any poor country, but what strikes one about the former Soviet Union is how they seem to have gotten the worst of both worlds: all the demands put on women of developed countries without any of the socio-economic parity.
Only in recent years have Ukrainian women’s domestic responsibilities been lightened by an increasing variety of affordable consumer goods that allow them to cook, clean and rear children with greater ease. At the same time, the influx of Western business practices has opened more doors for career-minded females.
After work, a woman living in Kyiv with a disposable income can enjoy a wide variety of leisure activities outside of the home. They are driving cars, going to gyms, shopping with their own credit cards and reading a wider than ever variety of publications dedicated exclusively to women.
No field of activity seems closed off anymore.
Ukraine’s 148,000 strong armed forces, for example, boasts 18,000 uniformed women. A total of 6.4 percent are officers and 12.6 percent - warrant officers.
Ukrainian women are not only matching their men but outmatching them.
Of the five gold medals that Ukraine received during the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, Greece, four were won by women: two went to the star of the games, swimmer Yana Klochkova, one to weightlifter Natalia Skakun and another to sharpshooter Olena Kostevych.
In business, Ukraine’s ultimate mud wrestling arena, the picture is less clear. On the one hand, women are more prominent as company spokespeople and even directors; on the other, many wield power as proxies for Ukrainian men.
But with equalizing skills such as fluency in English and an M.B.A becoming more accessible, Ukrainian women are increasingly able to compete on a level playing field for lucrative positions with multinational corporations.
In politics, the picture is even brighter. Arguably Ukraine’s toughest politician is fiery femme fatale Yulia Tymoshenko. And she looks set to be her country’s next president – whether the big boys like it or not. In a jungle where lions are far more rare than weasels, snakes and pigs, Ms. Tymoshenko paved her path to the top through strength of character. First she made her money, no less honestly than anyone else; then she made a name for herself as an uncompromising politician. In a country where lawmakers kiss up and then kiss off, Tymoshenko challenged the corrupt administration of former President Leonid Kuchma until it fell. In the interim, she was jailed for her feistiness. Having helped sweep Viktor Yushchenko into the presidency during the Orange Revolution, she was fired shortly thereafter as premier, only to return again to head the government on her own terms.
Number two among Ukraine’s political amazons would have to be Kateryna Yushchenko, a first lady on the level of Hillary Clinton. US born to Ukrainian immigrants who survived a WWII labor camp, she got a Georgetown education and then went beyond the American dream to help democratize the country of her parents. Although Ms. Yushchenko is publicly known for her charity and cultural work, she is considered by analysts to be an active partner in the Yushchenko administration.
The number three position among powerful Ukrainian women goes to Raisa Bogatyreva, head of the National Security and Defense Council. A relative newcomer in Ukraine’s premier political league, Ms. Bogatyreva is currently one of its fastest rising stars. Previously head of the powerful Regions faction in opposition to Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, she has bridged the partisan divide between the Orange presidency and Regions money bags Rinat Akhmetov. It remains to be seen whether she can stand on her own to do battle with the likes of Ms. Tymoshenko – woman to woman.
But aside from all these success stories, Ukrainian women still have a long way to go before they can really celebrate something.
According to Human Rights Watch, lady Cossacks are still among the main contributors to the international sex trade. Some enter it freely to escape widespread domestic abuse or a life of low paying dead-end employment.
Unlike their country’s most famous historical women – Roksolana, the 16th century slave girl who rose to the pinnacle of power in Istanbul, or 11th Century Anna Yaroslavna, who became queen of France – many Ukrainian girls who try to make it abroad end up caught in a cycle of exploitation.
So while those still at home work and wait for a better deal, they might as well enjoy the extra attention that they get on March 8.
John Marone, a columnist of Eurasian Home website, Kyiv, Ukraine
March 7, 2008
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