Grigory Yavlinsky spoke at the conference on gender equality

Press Release, 03.03.2018

Russian presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky, speaking at the All-Russian conference “Gender Equality and the Future of Russia”, named three fundamental things forming the cultural code of the modern economy: freedom, creativity and equal opportunities.

The politician stressed that gender equality was an element of a civilised society: society can not be considered modern if it does not recognise equality between women and men.

“If society does not understand that equality between men and women is so fundamental that it predetermines all other relationships, then there arise problems with children, families, and it is impossible to build a modern economy in such a society,” Grigory Yavlinsky said.

According to Yavlinsky, the economy of the 21st century is an economy built by a free person who lives without fear of arbitrariness, violence, poverty and diseases.

“Fears can be different, but they keep a person in tension and restriction, so he can not create anything modern. The basis of the economy is freedom, creativity and equal opportunities. These are the three fundamental things forming the cultural code of the modern economy,” he stressed.

Grigory Yavlinsky noted that Vladimir Putin did not understand this. For Putin, the economy was bridges, Skolkovo, and healthcare meant only building the largest maternity hospital.

The presidential candidate named the main directions of his programme. He said that it was important to uphold economic equality. This would mean the receipt of income and jobs, affordable education for all, possibility of retraining for women after maternity leave, and creation of a system of social services.

“Why can not a great power solve the issue of kindergartens? Why can not it solve the issue related to guaranteed payment of alimony? “, he asked.

Grigory Yavlinsky proposed to implement a system of savings accounts, that would allow young people at the age of 18 to accumulate 1 million roubles, as the state should annually transfer the deductions from the sale of oil and gas to all children from birth until reaching adulthood.

“I think this is an important element of equaling the starting conditions, stabilising the family, creating conditions so that the family could be a strong reliable institution, because it is from there that the future will grow,” he said.

The presidential candidate spoke about the importance of paying children’s benefits up to the age of seven and social benefits, in the event that a lonely mother raising a child loses her job. According to Yavlinsky, the state should welcome and support preschool education – children’s clubs, sections and centres. We need crisis centers in our country, so that everyone would have an opportunity to turn to psychologists. Here the politician remembered Andrei Zvyagintsev’s film “Loveless”, depicting the situation when parents do not need a child at all.

At the same time, Grigory Yavlinsky stressed that gender equality should be observed in relation to men too. When it comes to divorce, the Russian court a priori recognises all the rights for children for the mother only, and this is not always true.

“The key thing is that the law should be the same for all,” Yavlinsky said. “Why do some regions marry in 12-15 years, and in others at 18,” he asked.

“The issue of gender equality is a question of human rights, a fundamental issue, the issue of the fundamentals of life. Does the person have the right or not? Is the person dust in the wind or is he/she living in his/her own country, is the person a citizen, is the person a basis of everything? ” Yavlinsky said.

He also noted that the national idea in Russia should be ​​respect to an individual. This also applies to the relationship between the sexes.

Grigory Yavlinsky thanked Galina Mikhaleva, Chair of the Yabloko Gender Faction, who headed this direction of party work, implemented it politically, and also thanked Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova for promoting these ideas.

Emilia Slabunova, in her turn, noted that the problem of ensuring gender equality in Russia was very serious. Therefore, last summer, the party sent to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection Yabloko’s alternative strategy for women developed as an answer to the government’s strategy. The document developed by Yabloko contained definite measures to ensure gender equality.

Emilia Slabunova noted that global poverty, hardships in everyday life and the militarisation of all aspects of life were among the problems that, together with gender inequality, made the situation of millions of women and men in Russia very difficult.

“I believe that women who should and can say their decisive “no” to poverty, war, uncivilized situation in the housing and utilities sector, and gender inequality,” she noted. “Now more than ever, it is important for women to switch into politics, especially since there is such a political force, and politicians who are ready to solve these problems. Our presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky has a clear plan for resolving them.”

Grigory Yavlinsky said that he was proud of the fact that he as a presidential candidate had a detailed elaborated programme for gender equality,  a programme of a serious economic, political and social strengthening of the society.

“It is believed [in Russia] that some kind of missile is the strengthening of society. But in fact, the strengthening of society is the creation of an atmosphere of respect and love. And this is impossible without a breakthrough in the part of gender equality,” he concluded.