Theme 4b - Women

Question 1

3 stages of women’s status (looking at propaganda) 1917-85

Answer 1

women playing a supporting role (1917-40)
women at war, women in space (1941-64)
good mothers and absent mothers (65-85)

Question 2

women’s role (looking at propaganda) 1917-40

Answer 2

played a supporting role that was different to men
men played primary societal role as industrial workers and revolutionary leaders
men were the focus of propaganda - Civil war (posters of male soldiers), first 3 5 year plans (male workers focus of posters), women showed as mothers or children (showed their maternal role)

Question 3

examples of secondary role of women (looking at propaganda)

Answer 3

1937 “Worker and Kolkhoz woman” statue depicting woman with sickle and man with hammer.
this showed men as industrial workers (revolutionary vanguard) and women as secondary agricultural workers
1928 “October” film mocked female soldiers

Question 4

women’s role (looking at propaganda) 1941-64

Answer 4

in WW2 and Cold war women prevalent in propaganda
- but still showed them as vulnerable
- after war girl-warriors featured in speeches (e.g. secret speech)

Question 5

example of women in propaganda during WW2 and what it showed

Answer 5

“the motherland is calling” presented women as symbol of Russian nation and their vital work in war

Question 6

example of women being presented in propaganda as vulnerable

Answer 6

1942 - Pravda published photos of “Tanya” a 18 yo girl who was raped and tortured by Germans. Her mother toured USSR appealing to men to fight and defend women

Question 7

who was first woman in space and when

Answer 7

Valentina Tereshkova in 1963 (showed their increased role in work + propaganda)

Question 8

women’s role (looking at propaganda) 1965-85

Answer 8

under Brezhnev - propaganda showed a traditional view
60’s - women should be good workers and mothers
70’s - propaganda became more conservative as birth rates fell (campaign for women to have kids, pronatal campaign emphasised differences in sexes)
late 70’s - criticism of women neglecting children by working (called them responsible for alcoholism, childhood delinquency, crime rates rising)

Question 9

how did role of women working in cities change (civil war, NEP, 5 year plans, WW2, post war, 60s, 70s)

Answer 9

civil war - Zhenotdel recruited women for nursing and food distribution + increased role in industry
end of war - women in industry sacked
NEP - women’s opportunities limited (increased prostitution)
5 year plans - increased workers demand, so women joined industry in mass, but they were paid 60% of what men were and were abused
post war - women took up unskilled labour, in production line light industry, and heavy manual labour (still paid less as in low skill industry)
60’s - women got more clerical work (75% clerical jobs taken by women in 60s)
70’s - BAM recruitment

Question 10

what was Zhenotdel and when did it exist

Answer 10

1919-30
women’s department in the party

Question 11

what % workers in heavy industry were women in 1940

Answer 11

40%

Question 12

what was BAM recruitment

Answer 12

recruitment of women for the Baikal - Amur Mainline (rail line across USSR)
women in their early 20s recruited to give men company and told BAM workers would be majority men so women would get their pick

Question 13

role of women in agriculture under Lenin and Stalin

Answer 13

lots of women in agriculture - they did unskilled jobs

Question 14

role of women in agriculture under Khrushchev

Answer 14

recruited under VLS to be companions of men (entice them to move to virgin lands) and fill roles as gardeners or milkmaids in virgin lands

Question 15

what was the VLS like for women

Answer 15

lots of women went back to cities after moving to the virgin lands
they were raped, filled low pay jobs, and not comfortable

Question 16

women’s role in agriculture in 70’s and 80’s

Answer 16

filled low status farm jobs
1970 - 70% of the lowest paid farmers were women
1983 - 65% work on farms unmechanised (mechanisation drive in 6th and 7th 5 year plans clearly didn’t work to make women’s lives more comfortable)

Question 17

what was women’s role in war like

Answer 17

played an essential role in WW2
initially turned away from serving, but by 1945 - 800,000 women had served in a combat role
there were 3 female flying regiments (“The Night Witches” were a well known deadly female squadron)
post war - women demobilised, whereas many men weren’t

Question 18

women’s role in the Party under Lenin

Answer 18

under represented
women got govt. jobs reflecting traditional stereotypes, female party members tended to work in Commissariat of social welfare, health, or education whereas males took jobs relating to economy or military
1918 - 5% delegates to party congress women
1918 - 10% party members were women
1928 - only 12% party members were women

Question 19

Women’s role in Party under Stalin

Answer 19

women in the party were expected to be exemplary housewives and still play a homemaking role

Question 20

Women’s role in the Party under Khrushchev and Brezhnev

Answer 20

played a larger role in politics, but still expected to work in health, social services ,and education
1983 - 26% party members were women