THE RUSSIAN WOMAN"

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 99, 28 April 1928, Page 15

THE RUSSIAN WOMAN"

II.XX". UK-ACTION TO SOVlK'i' nun'; Women of.Bovie.tr .Uussii'i, are the comrades of their fpllow-meii in more than the move univtu'siil suHifiiiion of tovarisch (comrade) implies, ivriles Alien Alendham in an exchange. JS'ot only luivo the. Mrs, and Miss been dropped from the liiissian vocabulary, but women uro no longer the object of all Hie little discriminating courtesies I hat chnraclerisi! our bourgeois civilisalion. I'rolotarial; society is tdinjilo and direct, if somewhat blunt. One meets women In all spheres of occii|i:ilioiml activity; as directors, of n 'Uoveininent bureau, as research workers, as si reel, rar conductors, as liiusenul jruides,'as technicians in faeturies. Tho salaries in these various employments cover a wide range, but "in no rase is the woman paid less than her co-worker of Iho opposite sex. Kipia! work demands and gels nn eipiiil wage. In connection with the factories Iho union maintains 11 tiny 'nursery where !h« working mother ohii leave her infant (luring the day, free 'of. charge, under tlfti supervision of a woman doctor and nurses. The mother is given two monlhs before nnd two months after tho delivery of tier child in a sanatorium, and wheusho returns to work, is allowed as much timo as necessary during tlio day to nurso1 lu.t baby. Women now constitute [H. per cent, of tho students in tho universities and 17 per cent, of tho students in the Ifabfiiks. These latter are secondary schools whero Iho worker who has had no previous chance at higher education may •study, with his expenses paid by the local (Soviet or his union. Tho Soviet woman is absolutely liberated morally. Thero is no question ol! ,'i double simulant in Russia. Divorces bused on mutual agreement ii.ro as easily effected an marriages— H|ipoaraneo before a. Court and declaration of intention is nil that is required Whero ono party wishes 11 divorce and tho other does not tho caso is hoard bel'oro 11 coininittoo of Judges. Tho children of. tho divorced couple aro supported by both tho.father and mother —each ono contributes 11 percentage ol! their waged, mid If tho womnn happens

Spoil null (u'liciiil. I'lli.lii.

to ho earning ii birder Hiilnry Hum (ho iniin, Him piij-H Iho (,'roiiloi' milt. UmtalIv I lul children lire kept with (ho mother. There 1m no hiicli Iliinf; us an ille^'iliiiiiilo child in Knviol Kussin. A woman's word mi to tint Identity of Iho father of her child is always urcopled if nho has any evidence whnlever, anil Iho i'lithei- i;('coio|ielled by hiw lo nid in Hiipportinj; tho child. Tim pcti.Hdiil, woinnn in not Ic.ih nulivo tlinn thu proldlnii.'it woinnii worker. Wlio ]mi'tiui])ii.teH in the locnl Hoviol; (in ouo villiißo vmitcd tho Hoviot eonHiid.ed of III! mcmliers, oi^ht of which were wnmon), and in very proud of the rod handkerchief hlio wohvh on her head1, ■which nioftiiH that nho is a ineinlier of tho Communist Pnrty, or a Hympnthltior. Thero in usually a wowoii'h clubhouHo in l.ho villngo which in lli« centro of iholr variouD activities; politicnl pro-. paj,'iiiidii, cliikmi'm in reiKiiiif: ii it 11 writing, etc. .l.)ny nurHerii'H nro lie^inniiij,' to ho or^aniHi'd in the vilhijteM where (lie mo IherH nmy le.'ive their iiil'nuU while |.ho other children (ire at m'liool, lliiih f'n'oiiiK them from their work in the lieldji or iiboul; Iho liiiUMi'hold. TlifMi) obHervalioiiH, iiuule itl'lor n month's travel in Kuhski, m'ein to chlulilish tho opinion Mint >Soviel; Mile limh done much townrd niiikiii),' woinnn Iho erpinl of mini in ItiiKsia [lo'il iiwilly, iudiiHl.rially, nnd Hocially.