Democratic Reform and the Position of Women in Transitional Economies

Democratic Reform and the Position of Women explores the effects of the post-1989 developments in Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union on the social, economic, and political position of the women of these countries. It explains how the economic crisis, collapse of communism, social breakdown, and changing institutions and practices of the state have an impact upon women's roles and status. The volume uses a combination of theoretical work on the fundamental questions of these 'gender dynamics', and empirical studies on aspects such as educational attainment, social security provisions, political representation, and level and type of employment. Several of the chapters use comparative analysis, drawing on previous research into women's position during development in the Third World, and under socialism in the years prior to 1989. Countries covered in the empirical case studies are Russia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech and Slovak republics, the former East Germany, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The contributors draw the conclusion that women are among the principal losers in the restructuring process, both through the rise in conservative cultures (e.g. greater religiosity and emphasis on women's reproductive role), and through the economic imperatives of competing in a market-based system. Among the findings are that women are deemed 'expensive labour', due to statutory provisions such as maternity leave, that democratization has meant the elimination of quotas for female representatives in governments, and that women's access to new training is under threat.