Gender Inequality in the Economy of Modern Russia: A Quantitative Analysis of the Problem

Abstract

Introduction. Legislative consolidation of a right is not always implemented in practice. This can be fully attributed to the situation in the sphere of equality of people of different sexes in the economy, including the sphere of public administration. The purpose of the article is to assess the status of women in the economy of modern Russia, based on the study of official statistics, as well as the possibility of women’s participation in solving key problems of the development of society through representation in public authorities at different levels of government. Materials and Methods. The author analyzed data from Russian Federal State Statistics Service, publications of scientists involved in the study of the issue concerned, as well as materials from authoritative international organizations. The systemic approach, analysis and synthesis, the monographic method, content analysis, as well as the employed methods of economic and statistical analysis made it possible to identify the main trends in the changing status of women in the Russian labor market and public authorities at different levels of government. Results. The status of women in the Russian labor market and public authorities at the federal, regional and municipal levels has been characterized. Violation of the rights of women has been established in terms of remuneration when filling the same positions as men with equal amount of working time. It has been revealed that the representation of women in the highest bodies of state power lags behind the benchmark level of 30 %, proclaimed by the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and supported by the Russian Federation. Discussion and Conclusion. A conclusion has been drawn that women are underrepresented in senior government positions in the Russian Federation. In the Russian labor market, violation of women's rights is manifested in lower wages, despite higher overall level of education of women. The results may prove useful when conducting research in the field of gender equality, as well as when developing and implementing measures aimed at improving the status of women in the country's economy and ensuring their right to participate in making decisions important for the society.