Women's Vital Voices: The Costs of Exclusion in Eastern Europe Author(s): Swanee Hunt Source: Foreign Affairs, Vol. 76, No. 4 (Jul. - Aug., 1997), pp. 2-7 Published by: Council on Foreign Relations Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20048116 Accessed: 21-08-2014 13:55 UTC
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This content downloaded from 128.103.193.201 on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:55:09 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Women's Vital Voices
The Costs of Exclusion inEastern Europe
Swanee Hunt
was a The advent of democracy in the former services hardly boon. With the fall states communist of Europe brings both of communism, the trappings of gender as we are much promise and, learning, parity fell away, exposing discrimination women much peril.1 For millions, the complexion against that had persisted in the to rose state. to of life has evolved from red totalitarian The transition capi colored to raw. A monolithic nemesis has talism has been difficult for most, but a women. been replaced by perplexing variety of especially for to threats stability in this fragile region, While the particulars of women's status to with expressions of democracy frequently differ from country country, out drowned by the noises of intolerance patterns of marginalization exist: dimin and repression. ished labor market access, increasing new to In this brave world, the voices of vulnerability crime, loss of family women are to vital healthy social and oriented social benefits, and exceedingly In political discourse. The dramatically low low parliamentary representation. status women in of in post-communist many countries transition the femi an Europe is issue that goes beyond the nization of poverty has been striking. In women se to well-being of per the foster Russia, 87 percent of employed urban a ing of economic development and democ residents with incomes under $21 month we are a racy. American interests require that female; above earnings of $315 swomen carve out the nose-dives to help the region their month, figure 32 percent. in mainstream of To an even extent than in the rightful place the society. greater women to West, Eastern European tend ON THE MARGINS OF DEMOCRACY be clustered in the low-paying professions. was a ever Life under communism far cry But during this period of transition, and from the auspicious pronouncements of more-blatant gender-biased hiring treatment are fair for all comrades. After all, promotion practices becoming deeply access to equal parliamentary charades, entrenched; job advertisements frequently female or empty shelves, and substandard health specify "attractive receptionist"
Swanee Hunt isU.S. Ambassador to Austria.
[2]
This content downloaded from 128.103.193.201 on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:55:09 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Women's Vital Voices
most new to 100 "male manager." In of the expected shoulder percent of fam In a of com democracies, regulations prescribe early ily responsibilities. reversal munist women retirement for women, locking them demands that work along into fixed incomes far removed from the side men in fields and factories, whether want to or women are now free market. they not, to Under the weight of gender-based being pushed back hearth and home. career even layoffs, lower pay, and meager Complicating their situation women in are opportunities, this downward spiral is further, Eastern Europe In to accelerating. Russia, women's wages disproportionately vulnerable rising slipped from 70 percent of men's in 1989 crime. Trafficking in women, which is to most sec 40 percent in 1995, and in increasing exponentially, ravages the tors women are the last hired and first bodies and spirits of impoverished young women fired. In Slovakia, between 1989 and promised jobs in theWest only women over to 1993 earned just half what find themselves controlled by pimps. men more women were case did?although A distressingly unexceptional is that a a university graduates. In Belarus, where of Polish shipyard clerk recruited for the of are as a majority specialists female, better-paying job waitress in Germany. women a search for job three times The recruiter photographed her being than their male to longer counterparts. raped, then threatened send the pictures to The slower the economic growth, the her devout mother in Gdansk. There more severe a iswomen's disadvantage. Em has been tragic surge in such violations women men since ployment gaps between and the rending of the Iron Curtain. By are least apparent in Poland and the Czech 1993 there were an estimated 8,000 Polish are Republic, which thriving. In countries prostitutes in Frankfurt alone. more experiencing difficult transitions, The development of legal protections the is In for gap larger. Ukraine, example, often taken for granted in theWest has women unem constitute 70 percent of the languished in many of these countries. In no ployed, and the trend is sharply worsening. Hungary, there is law against sexual was in a The underlying rationale distilled harassment the workplace, which Minister as by Russian Labor Gennady U.N. report describes "virtually epi we demic." In some in Melikyan in 1993: "Why should employ villages Serbia women when men are out of work?" are Montenegro, brides still bought and rates on a With divorce the rise, the fail sold. In Bulgaria, the law demands wit ure ness a to force fathers to pay child support in order to prosecute rape case, and also contributes to the of no for impoverishment prosecution spousal abuse is possible women. Likewise, holes in the govern unless the wife has been killed or perma ment net social of kindergartens, child nendy injured. Women inMoldova report courts as care, health care, and pensions make life that their view domestic violence for who are a in precarious women, usually "private family issue," yet neighboring
*For this discussion, Eastern Europe is defined as stretching east toMoscow and from the Baltics to Albania.
< FOREIGN AFFAIRS July/August1997 [3]
This content downloaded from 128.103.193.201 on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:55:09 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SwaneeHunt
an Russia, where estimated 80 percent of value women have to offer is shunted violent crimes take in the place home, aside without expression." women are killed their women to 15,000 by husbands What have offer is nothing each year. less than essential elements of the infra women were not to structure Clearly integral of political stability.2 Economic to policymaking before the transition disparity, social hardships, breakdown But as a new of democracy. chapter free of the rule of law, and weakness in civil structures are ex dom is being written, they ironically find all exacerbated by the themselves confined to women core the margins. Al clusion of from the of society. communist were women in though parliaments For example, poverty raise more little than rubber stamps, women children in poverty, children less likely to were at their least visible, presence ensured benefit from good health, good educa some by state-imposed quotas. To extent, tion, and good jobs?children whose ruse was own that itself pernicious. Never unstable lives in turn contribute to theless, the pretense of representation the instability of their communities. are has been replaced by today's transparent New free-market economies pro a exclusion. Across the chasm of political ducing wide gap between rich and poor to resentments. upheaval, from 1987 1994 the percentage citizens, creating class When women of in parliament decreased from women, who generally build small to 28 to 6 in are not as a percent percent Albania, from midlevel companies, valued to resource out 34 percent 4 percent in Romania, and for filling the middle class, 21 to 11 cannot from percent percent in Hungary. they fuel their countries' economies was in as en Parliament 33 percent female the reliable employees and innovative Soviet Union, but inmany of the newly trepreneurs. Eastern Europe urgently states now same independent the figure is needs the energy that has driven the same a under 3 percent. The downward U.S. economy: quarter of the American trend is for women in min now women apparent top labor force is employed by isterial posts: representation in Albania, owned businesses, which, in 25 years, have to Romania, and Hungary declined from increased from 5 percent 35 percent of 6 percent, 12 percent, and 4 percent, all U.S. firms. to zero. respectively, Looking outward, the continuing dis parity between rich and poor European AT HALF STRENGTH countries, exacerbated by the disregard women Forty-five years ago, U.N. Ambassador of talented and highly educated out to Eleanor Roosevelt pointed the in post-communist democracies, also General Assembly that "too often the undermines regional stability. Just when are most to great decisions originated and given their contribution is needed in ... so women form bodies completely domi strengthen fragile economies, are on to mar nated by [men] thatwhatever of special stumbling their way the
2To or one must resort to serious describe the role qualities of women, generalities that do injustice to the differences among individuals. That said, one should not back away from think in even those can be misunderstood or misused. ing gender terms, though categories
[4] FOREIGN AFFAIRS Volume76No.4
This content downloaded from 128.103.193.201 on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:55:09 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SWANEEHUNT
on the in Living margins: Refugees Gorazde, 1997
with household there are still serious ketplace, overburdened Although gender inWestern as the responsibilities. Women report that, inequities Europe well, more are is women's full involve than ever, they preoccupied trend there toward on with just getting through the day rather ment, based the democratic principle in than building the future. that lack of representation political women a The discounting of actually chambers is fundamental flaw. The reverse contributes to lawlessness, and the widening variance in the evolution of true: inwomen is creates a is also trafficking fueling women's roles further divide a new and at organized crime, creating menacing between Eastern Western Europe as an a East-West link traffickers enjoy time when stability through integration enormous a endless market, profits, minimal is continental goal. punishment, and little risk of getting Finally, extensive sociological studies, are caught. Fledgling democracies espe neurological research, linguistic analysis, to cially vulnerable and destabilized by and political polling support the premise such lawlessness. Nor is this violence that, whether due to nature or nurture, women an are in women against solely issue of justice; there differences the way cannot women men societies honestly support and perceive and behave. Women as builders of the new economies while have coalesced in new alliances?there a were across Bosnia in tolerating market in which criminals sell 40 women's groups as them commodities. the middle of the war?and they have led
FOREIGN AFFAIRS July/August1997 [5]
This content downloaded from 128.103.193.201 on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:55:09 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Swanee Hunt
in to as recent the development of nongovernmental directed women, with funding organizations (ngos), the building blocks from the U.S. Agency for International of any civil society. Eighty-four percent of Development (usaid) for management ngos in women the Czech Republic, for example, training for 5,000 dairy farmers in are now women. women state headed by Sometimes Albania and running former women's cooperation has significant polit farms in Russia. a ical import. In dramatic crucible, after Credit is also critical.With a 98 percent rate women Bosnian Serb forces seizing Srebrenica in of repayment, microloans for are an to July 1995 massacred thousands of Muslim extremely efficient way support Bosnian women women and restore boys and men, Muslim damaged economies. were asked if they couldwork with Bosnian One example is the Bosnian Women's women Serb also searching for missing Initiative, launched by President Clinton ones. women at loved The nodded, then the 1996 Group of Seven summit. are ventures women added, "We all mothers." Bolstering business by of all three Bosnian ethnic groups, the PROFITABLE INVESTMENTS grant program increases the economic? sent When President Clinton Vice Presi and therefore social and political?role to of women. a dent AI Gore lead theU.S. delegation The First Lady has become to the 1994 U.N. population conference strong advocate for microcredit, and the set a new in Cairo, he direction for U.S. Organization for Economic Cooperation a policy in support of the priorities of and Development recently sponsored women. was to That theme reinforced conference explore the connection through high-level U.S. leadership both between growth-oriented economies at the 1995 U.N. women's conference in and women-owned businesses. Beijing and afterward, when theWhite In terms of crime, an increased Amer an House formed interagency council, ican presence in global law enforcement now to must new chaired by the secretary of state, support the foreign policy on full in track implementation of the commit emphasis women's participation ments the United States had made. society. The U.S. government is focusing on on With the eyes of theworld the this European slave trade. As part of to in United States, the active global presence the effort combat trafficking women, of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton the United States was an active observer at a and Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright 1996 meeting in Austria whose aim most was to harmonize national and interna is probably the potent contribu women tion to the empowerment of tional policies and legislation. we are more as we worldwide. But also taking Similarly, back such democratic as concrete steps. institutions free media, independent that in and For example, understanding judiciaries, open markets, ngos, women our can vesting in provides both short-term multiparty elections, support help the United is advance women as and long-term gains, States journalists, judges, on economic and sharpening its focus women's investors, entrepreneurs, activists, can elected officials. To that a con enterprises. The U.S. government end, July ensure is in under the of that entrepreneurial education ference Vienna auspices
[6] FOREIGN AFFAIRS Volume76No.4
This content downloaded from 128.103.193.201 on Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:55:09 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Women's Vital Voices
ngos are an the U.S.-eu New Transatlantic Agenda, today's providing opportunity women "Vital Voices: Women in Democracy," for development of European women in will bring together 150 leaders leaders. Founded 1990, the Network of states to more from post-communist develop East-West Women links than 1,500 women over strategies with 150 from theWest. advocates in 30 countries. Such pro usaid numerous not Finally, has supported jects only provide important analysis ngos in developing women's leadership (theCenter forGender Studies inMoscow is a Croatia, Poland, Russia, Albania, and regional leader), but also work direcdy a women women in For Bosnia. As corollary, local lead with need. example, La ers must was women be included in U.S. government Strada formed by in Poland events to in Eastern Europe where issues offer shelter and information, warning are are women discussed, deals made, and policies other of the dangers of the mean more refined. That may creativity trafficking trade. And in spite ofMoldova's in compiling American embassies' economic plight, itsWomen's Association new sectors Rolodexes, drawing from has 27 chapters that provide charitable women are as as as to where key players, such assistance well technical support women own ngos, the free media, and independent starting their businesses. can not judiciaries. Similarly, embassies expand The disorienting transition has kept to women programs energize promising female outstanding leaders from appearing as political leaders by selecting them for government ministers and heads of key to visitors programs the United States. national and municipal entities. Their are as a From decades of experience identifying numbers few they break through talented young male leaders, we can pro thick glass ceiling impenetrable in the days our once ject that early encouragement will of totalitarian rule. But broken, that enormous can never reap long-term gains. barrier be resealed. of women While each of these efforts is infini Examples abound finding small to the overall their voices in tesimally compared post-communist Europe, activities of the U.S. government, they and what they're calling for is nothing a all represent progressive steps for the less than just and humane society. use are foreign policy community. To Secre Those basic American values the resonance to a tary Albright's formulation, "focusing rich fundamental free on women is not the simply right thing market economy and stable democracy. to smart to women our own do; it is the thing do." As echo values, it is in the to United States' interest magnify RAISING THEIR VOICES their voices.? in women in Even the face of hardship, the are not developing democracies playing not the role of silent victims. Many have are only survived the transition, but to a central the formation of civil society. Over the past century, the nonprofit movement was a training ground for women in the United States; likewise,
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