RUSSIAN WOMEN IN HARD CONDITIONS OF CONVERSION

Eleonora Ivanova

President, Conversion and Women Association
Moscow, ul.Viktorenko 7
RUSSIA

TEL:(095) 157-98-80
FAX: (095) 157-75-13

War industry conversion in the world is an objectively essential process and one of the sources for safe and peaceful planet development. An increasing arms race and piles of weapons accumulated on Earth can cause an ecological catastrophe. Therefore, the defense industry conversion launched in Russia in 1990 has objective prerequisites and can be considered a positive factor. But the development of Russian defense industry conversion was a spontaneous process which did not take into account social consequences. So, Russian defense industry personnel have been shaken by the negative aspects of those social consequences.

The Conversion and Women Association and other interested organizations arranged a personnel opinion survey in 1992 and 1993 at some Russian defense industry enterprises. The negative social consequences of the conversion which influence women (first and foremost) from defense industry enterprises are taken into consideration in the report. The main conclusions are the following:

• Aggravation of discrimination against women.
• Sexism is expressed in increasing numbers of unemployed women with higher education on labor market.
• Differentiation of wages.
• Decrease in wage of women in comparison with men.
• Depression. According to the public opinion poll most women employed in the defense industry are depressed.

Galina Skorokhodova

Vice-President of the "Women and Conversion" Association

129041 Moscow, Prospekt Mira 76-44
RUSSIA

TEL: (095) 157-98-80
FAX: (095) 157-75-13

CONVERSION - A GLOBAL ALGORITHM OF SECURITY, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND KEEPING OF THE PLANET

Without paying attention to serious consequences, modern society is constantly, unmercifully exploiting the natural resources of the planet. This report takes into consideration a two-staged algorithm of security, ecological restoration and preservation of the planet. The main origin (of this algorithm) is war industry conversion in all countries of the world. The main reason is a moral improvement of people. The first stage is gradual demilitarization in all countries, which will result in decreasing weapons manufacturing in every country. Thus, military high technologies can be used for production of medical and environment parameters checking equipmen and for ecological restoration of the planet's natural resources. The second stage is a full demilitarization of the planet. The period of the algorithm realization will continue for 50 - 70 years.

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