| "[In]... the brothels off Wenceslas
| |
| | modernization. Men in the CEE are 3 times
|
| Square, in central Prague, [where] sexual
| |
| | more likely to find a job, 60-80% of all
|
| intercourse can be bought for USD 25 -
| |
| | women's jobs were lost (for instance in
|
| about half the price charged at a German
| |
| | the textile and clothing industries) and
|
| brothel... Slav women have supplanted
| |
| | the highest rates of unemployment are
|
| Filipinos and Thais as the most common
| |
| | among middle aged and older women
|
| foreign offering in [Europe]." (The
| |
| | ("unemployment with a female
|
| Economist, August 2000, p.18)
| |
| | face" as it is called in Ukraine).
|
| "I'm also wary of the revolutionary
| |
| | Women constitute 50-70% of the
|
| ambition of some feminist texts, with
| |
| | unemployed. And women's unemployment is
|
| their ideas about changing present
| |
| | probably under-reported. Most unrecorded
|
| conditions, having seen enough attempted
| |
| | workers (omitted from the official
|
| utopia's for one lifetime" (Petr
| |
| | statistics) are women. Where retraining
|
| Príhoda, The New Presence, 2000, p. 35).
| |
| | is available (a rarity), women are
|
| "As probably every country has its
| |
| | trained to do computer jobs, mostly
|
| Amazons, if we go far back in Czech
| |
| | clerical and low skilled. Men, on the
|
| mythology, to a collection of Old Czech
| |
| | other hand, are assigned to assimilate
|
| Legends, we come across a very
| |
| | new and promising technologies. In many
|
| interesting legend about the Dévín
| |
| | countries, women are asked to waive their
|
| castle (which literally means 'The Girls'
| |
| | rights under the law, or even to produce
|
| Castle'). It describes a bloody story
| |
| | proof of sterilization before they get a
|
| about a rebellion of women, who started a
| |
| | job. The only ray of light is higher
|
| vengeful war against men. As the story
| |
| | education, where women's participation
|
| goes, they were not only capable
| |
| | actually increased in certain countries.
|
| warriors, they had no mercy and would not
| |
| | But this blessing is confined to
|
| hesitate to kill their fathers and
| |
| | "feminine" (low pay and low
|
| brothers. Under the leadership of mighty
| |
| | status) professions. Vocational and
|
| Vlasta, the "girls" lived in
| |
| | technical schools have either closed down
|
| their castle, "Dévín", where
| |
| | entirely or closed their gates to women.
|
| they underwent a severe military
| |
| | Even in feminized professions (such as
|
| training. They led the war very
| |
| | university teaching), women make less
|
| successfully, and one day Vlasta came up
| |
| | than 20% of the upper rungs (e.g., full
|
| with an shrewd plan, how to take hostage
| |
| | professorships). The tidal wave of the
|
| a famous nobleman, Ctirad. She chose the
| |
| | rising cost of education threatens to
|
| lovely Sárka from the body (sic!) of her
| |
| | drown this trend of women's education.
|
| troops and had her tied up to a tree by a
| |
| | Studies have shown that, with rising
|
| road with a horn and a jar of a mead out
| |
| | costs, women's educational opportunities
|
| of her reach, but in her sight. In this
| |
| | decline. Families prefer to invest - and
|
| state, Sárka was waiting for Ctirad to
| |
| | rationally so - in their males.
|
| find her. When he actually really
| |
| | Women witnessed the resurgence of
|
| appeared and saw her, she told him a sad
| |
| | nostalgic nationalism, neo traditionalism
|
| story of how the women from Dévín
| |
| | and religious revival - social forces
|
| punished her for not following their
| |
| | which sought to confine them to home,
|
| ideology by tying her to the tree,
| |
| | hearth, spouse and children and to
|
| mockingly putting a jar and a horn (so
| |
| | "liberate" them from the
|
| that she would be always reminded that
| |
| | "forced labour" of communism.
|
| she is thirsty and helpless) near by.
| |
| | Negative demographic trends (declining
|
| Ctirad, enchanted by the beautiful woman,
| |
| | life expectancy and birth rate, numerous
|
| believed the lure and untied her, and
| |
| | abortions, late marriage, a high divorce
|
| when she handed him the mead, he
| |
| | rate, increasing suicide rate) conspired
|
| willingly drunk it. When he was drunk
| |
| | to provoke a "we are a dying
|
| already, she let him blow the horn, which
| |
| | nation" outcry and the inevitable
|
| was a signal for the Dévín warriors to
| |
| | re-emphasis of the woman's reproductive
|
| capture him. He was then tortured in many
| |
| | functions. Fierce debates about the
|
| horrible ways, at the end of which, his
| |
| | morality of abortion erupted in bastions
|
| body was woven into a wooden wheel and
| |
| | of Catholic fundamentalism (such as
|
| displayed. This event mobilized the army,
| |
| | Poland and, to a lesser degree,
|
| which soon afterwards destroyed Dévín.
| |
| | Lithuania) as well as in citadels of
|
| (Very significantly, this legend is the
| |
| | rational agnosticism, such as the Czech
|
| only account of radical feminism in Czech
| |
| | Republic. Curiously, prostitution and
|
| Lands.)" ("The Vissicitudes of
| |
| | women trafficking were accepted as
|
| Czech Feminism" by Petra Hanáková)
| |
| | inevitable. Perhaps because they catered
|
| "We myself...and many others are not
| |
| | to masculine needs.
|
| in search of global sisterhood at all,
| |
| | Indeed, in feminist lore and theory, both
|
| and it is only when we give up expecting
| |
| | nationalism and capitalism are
|
| it that we can get anywhere. It is each
| |
| | "patriarchal". Nationalism
|
| other's very 'otherness ' that motivates
| |
| | allocates distinct and mutually exclusive
|
| us, and the things we find in common take
| |
| | roles to men and women. The latter are
|
| on greater meaning within the context of
| |
| | supposed to act as homemakers and have
|
| otherness. There is so much to learn by
| |
| | babies. Capitalism encourages the
|
| comparing the ways in which we are
| |
| | formation of impregnable male elites,
|
| different, and which the same elements of
| |
| | disseminates new technologies mainly to
|
| women's experience are global, and which
| |
| | male monopolies, eliminates menial and
|
| aren't, and wondering why, and what it
| |
| | low skilled (women's) jobs and puts
|
| means" (Jirina Siklová)
| |
| | emphasis on masculine traits such as
|
| "It is difficult to carry three
| |
| | aggression and competitiveness. No wonder
|
| watermelons under one arm." (Proverb
| |
| | female political representation in
|
| attributed to Bulgarian women)
| |
| | parliaments and governments diminished
|
| "The high level of unemployment
| |
| | dramatically since 1989. When powerless,
|
| among women, segregation in the labour
| |
| | under communism, CEE parliaments were
|
| market, the increasing salary gap between
| |
| | stacked with women. Now that they are
|
| women and men, the lack of women present
| |
| | more potent elected bodies, they are
|
| at the decision making level, increasing
| |
| | almost nowhere to be seen. The few that
|
| violence against women, the high levels
| |
| | infiltrated these august institutions are
|
| of maternal and infant mortality, the
| |
| | relegated to "soft" committees
|
| total absence of a contraceptive industry
| |
| | (social issues, usually) devoid of
|
| in Russia, the insufficiency of child
| |
| | budgets and of influence. It is very much
|
| welfare benefits, the lack of adequate
| |
| | like under communism when the decision
|
| resources to fund current state programs
| |
| | making party echelons were predominantly
|
| - this is only part of the long list of
| |
| | male. The only influential women then
|
| women's rights violations." (Elena
| |
| | were dissidents but they seem to have
|
| Kotchkina, Moscow Centre for Gender
| |
| | rejected the fruit of their labour,
|
| Studies, "Report on the Legal Status
| |
| | democracy, in favour of tranquility and
|
| of Women in Russia")
| |
| | peace of mind - or to have been usurped
|
| Communism was men's nightmare and women's
| |
| | by an emerging male establishment.
|
| dream, or so the left wing version goes.
| |
| | Despite an education in economics, they
|
| In reality it was a gender-neutral hell.
| |
| | are under-represented among business
|
| Women under communism were, indeed,
| |
| | executives, the owners of privatized
|
| encouraged to participate in the labour
| |
| | enterprises and the beneficiaries of
|
| force. An array of conveniences
| |
| | favourable pay regulations and tax
|
| facilitated their participation: day care
| |
| | systems.
|
| centres, kindergarten, daylong schools,
| |
| | This erosion of their economic base
|
| abortion clinics. They had their quota in
| |
| | coupled with the drastic decreases in
|
| parliament. They climbed to the top of
| |
| | child benefits, in the length of maternal
|
| some professions (though there was a list
| |
| | leave, in the number of public and, thus,
|
| of women-free occupations, more than 90
| |
| | affordable child care facilities and in
|
| is Poland). But this - as most other
| |
| | other support networks led to a swift
|
| things in communism - was a mere
| |
| | deterioration in the social status and
|
| simulacrum.
| |
| | leverage of women. With their only
|
| Reality was much drearier. Women, however
| |
| | effective contraceptive - abortion -
|
| mettlesome, groaned under the
| |
| | restricted, maternal mortality exploded.
|
| "triple burden" - work, marital
| |
| | So did teenage pregnancy - a result of
|
| expectations cum childrearing chores and
| |
| | the curtailing or absence of sex
|
| party activism. They succumbed to the
| |
| | education. The rate of sexually
|
| lure and demands of the (stressful and
| |
| | transmitted diseases went through the
|
| boastful) image of the communist
| |
| | roof. Violence against women - rape,
|
| "super-woman". This martyrdom -
| |
| | spousal abuse, date rape - became
|
| now threatened by the dual Western
| |
| | epidemic. So did skyrocketing street
|
| imports, capitalism and feminism - served
| |
| | prostitution. Widowed women - an ever
|
| as a fountain of self-esteem and a source
| |
| | more common phenomenon in CEE - are
|
| of self-worth in otherwise gloomy
| |
| | destitute and reduced to begging as the
|
| circumstances.
| |
| | pensions of the lucky ones are ground to
|
| Yet, the communist inspired workplace
| |
| | nil by a rising cost of living and IMF
|
| revolution was not complemented by a
| |
| | prodded stinginess. There are also more
|
| domestic one. Women's traditional roles -
| |
| | quotidian problems (often neglected by
|
| so succinctly summarized by Bismarck with
| |
| | the media hungry and soundbite craving
|
| Prussian geniality as "kitchen,
| |
| | feminists) like pitiful divorce
|
| children, church" - survived the
| |
| | maintenance payments or decrepit
|
| modernizing onslaught of scientific
| |
| | maternity wards in crumbling hospitals.
|
| Marxism. It is true that power shifted
| |
| | Yet, women's reaction to all this was
|
| within the family unit ("The woman
| |
| | notable in its absence. After decades of
|
| is the neck that moves the head, her
| |
| | forced activism and imposed altruism, the
|
| husband"). But the
| |
| | imported Western individualism mutated in
|
| "underslippers" (as Czech men
| |
| | CEE to malignant egotism. A sliver of the
|
| disparagingly self-labeled) still had the
| |
| | female population did well in local
|
| upper hand. In short, women were now
| |
| | government and as entrepreneurs. The rest
|
| subjected to onerous double patriarchy,
| |
| | (especially the old, the rural, the less
|
| both private and public (the latter
| |
| | educated) stayed at home and seemed to
|
| propagated by the party and the state).
| |
| | fancy this novel experience of
|
| It is not that they did not value the
| |
| | dependence. A generational divide
|
| independence, status, social interaction
| |
| | emerged. Younger women discovered the
|
| and support networks that their jobs
| |
| | joys of conspicuous consumption and mind
|
| afforded them. But they resented the lack
| |
| | numbing pop "culture". They
|
| of choice (employment was obligatory) and
| |
| | constituted the masses of career
|
| the parasitic rule of their often useless
| |
| | opportunists, the new managerial class,
|
| husbands. Many of them were an integral
| |
| | shareholders and professionals - a pale
|
| and important part of national and social
| |
| | imitation of the yuppies of America.
|
| movements throughout the region. Yet,
| |
| | Older women retreated - heaving a sigh of
|
| with victory secured and goals achieved,
| |
| | relief - into home and family, seeking
|
| they were invariably shunned and
| |
| | refuge from the intrusion of tedious
|
| marginalized. As a result, they felt
| |
| | public matters. Economic realities still
|
| exploited and abused. Small wonder women
| |
| | forced them to seek a job and steady
|
| voted overwhelmingly for right wing
| |
| | income (often in a family business or in
|
| parties post communism.
| |
| | the informal economy, with no job
|
| Yet, even after the demise of communism,
| |
| | security or regulated labour conditions)
|
| Western feminism failed to take root in
| |
| | but their activism vanished into newfound
|
| Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The
| |
| | and demonstrative reclusiveness.
|
| East Coast Amazons from America and their
| |
| | Yet, even the young entrepreneurs often
|
| British counterparts were too
| |
| | fare badly. They lack the necessary
|
| ideological, too Marxist, too radical and
| |
| | business skills, the knowledge, the
|
| too men-hating and family-disparaging to
| |
| | supportive infrastructure, or the access
|
| engender much following in the
| |
| | to credit. The older women cannot work
|
| just-liberated victims of leftist
| |
| | long hours, lack skills and, when
|
| ideologies. Hectoring, overly-politicized
| |
| | officially employed, are expensive, due
|
| women were a staple of communism - and so
| |
| | to the burden of the still effective
|
| was women's liberation. Women in CEE
| |
| | social benefits. Thus, women can be
|
| vowed: "never again".
| |
| | mostly found in services, light industry
|
| Moreover, the evaporation of the iron
| |
| | and agriculture - the most non lucrative
|
| curtain lifted the triple burden as well.
| |
| | sectors of the dilapidated economies of
|
| Women finally had a choice whether to
| |
| | CEE. And speaking of the social benefits
|
| develop a career and how to balance it
| |
| | not yet axed - their quality has
|
| with family life. Granted, economic
| |
| | deteriorated, access to them has been
|
| hardship made this choice highly
| |
| | restricted and supplies are often short.
|
| theoretical. Once again, women had to
| |
| | The costs of public goods (mainly health
|
| work to make ends meet. But the stifling
| |
| | and education) have been transferred from
|
| ethos was gone.
| |
| | state to households either officially (a
|
| Communism left behind it a legal
| |
| | result of the commercialization of
|
| infrastructure incompatible with a modern
| |
| | services) or surreptitiously and
|
| market economy. Maternal leave was
| |
| | insidiously (e.g., patients required to
|
| anywhere between 18 and 36 (!) months,
| |
| | purchase their own food, bed sheets and
|
| for instance. But there were no laws to
| |
| | medication when hospitalized).
|
| tackle domestic or spousal violence,
| |
| | To blame it all on a botched transition
|
| women trafficking, organized crime
| |
| | is now in vogue. Yet, many of the
|
| prostitution rings, discrimination,
| |
| | problems facing the wretched women of CEE
|
| inequality, marital rape, date rape and a
| |
| | were evident as early as 30 years ago.
|
| host of other issues. There were no
| |
| | The feminization of poverty is not a new
|
| women's media of any kind (TV or print).
| |
| | phenomenon, nor is the feminization of
|
| No university offered a gender studies
| |
| | certain professions and the attendant
|
| program or had a women's studies
| |
| | decline in both their status and their
|
| department. Communism was interested in
| |
| | pay. Under communism, women felt as
|
| women (and humans) as means of
| |
| | exhausted and as guilt-ridden as they
|
| production. It ignored all other
| |
| | feel today. They were considered
|
| dimensions of their existence. In
| |
| | unreliable workers (which they were, what
|
| sputnik-era Russia, there were no
| |
| | with a lifetime average of 10 abortions
|
| factories for tampons or sanitary
| |
| | and 2 children). Their offspring endured
|
| bandages, for example. Communism believed
| |
| | an alienated childhood in the brutal and
|
| that the restructuring of class relations
| |
| | faceless gulag of day care centres
|
| will resolve all other social inequities.
| |
| | maintained by indifferent bureaucrats.
|
| Feminism properly belonged to the
| |
| | Juvenile delinquency, a high divorce
|
| spoiled, brooding women of the West - not
| |
| | rate, single motherhood and parasitic
|
| to the bluestockings of communism.
| |
| | fathers were all swept under the
|
| Ignoring problems was communism's way of
| |
| | ideological carpet by communism. Even
|
| solving them. Thus, there was no official
| |
| | communism's only achievement - the
|
| unemployment in the lands of socialism -
| |
| | inclusionary workforce - was an
|
| or drugs, or AIDS, or unhappy women. To
| |
| | elaborately crafted illusion for
|
| borrow from psychodynamic theories,
| |
| | consumption by wide-eyed Western
|
| Communism never developed "problem
| |
| | intellectuals. In the agrarian societies
|
| constancy".
| |
| | which preceded communism, women worked no
|
| To many, women included, communism was
| |
| | less. And women were not allowed to work
|
| about the perversion of the "natural
| |
| | night time or shifts or in certain jobs,
|
| order". Men and women were
| |
| | nor were they paid as much as men in
|
| catapulted out of their pre-ordained
| |
| | equal functions. Job advertising is
|
| social orbits into an experiment in
| |
| | sex-specific and sexist to this very day
|
| dystopy. When it ended, post communism
| |
| | (in stark violation of dead letter
|
| became a throwback to the 19th century:
| |
| | Constitutions).
|
| its values, mores and petite bourgeois
| |
| | Discarding the baby with the leaking
|
| aspirations. In the exegesis of
| |
| | bathtub has been a hallmark of
|
| transition, communism was interpreted as
| |
| | transition. Communism has done a lot for
|
| an aberration, an interruption in an
| |
| | women (one of its very rare
|
| otherwise linear progress. It was cast as
| |
| | achievements). Some of these foundations
|
| a regrettable historical accident or,
| |
| | were sound and durable and should have
|
| worse, a criminal endeavour to be
| |
| | been preserved to build upon. Yet the
|
| vehemently disowned and reversed.
| |
| | apathy of women and the zeal of power
|
| Yet again women proved to be the prime
| |
| | hungry men converged to yield an old new
|
| victims of historical processes, this
| |
| | world: patriarchal, discriminatory and
|
| time of transition. They saw their jobs
| |
| | iniquitous. The day of CEE feminism will
|
| consumed by male-dominated privatization
| |
| | come. But first, CEE has to become more
|
| and male-biased technological
| |
| | Westernized.
|
