State Regulation of Women's Employment and Occupational Segregation in the Russian Labour Sphere – 100 Years of History (Part 3. 1992-2024)

This paper analyzes changes in the regulation of women’s employment conditions and regimes, as well as the dynamics of gender-based industrial segregation, based on a comprehensive review of policy documents and legislative acts. The first part of the article focuses on the early Soviet period and the Great Patriotic War (1917–1945), when the principle of equality between women and men emphasized the liberation of women from domestic duties through their full participation in the workforce. This was accompanied by efforts to integrate women into industries where their labor had previously been underutilized or excluded, alongside measures to restrict women’s employment in hazardous conditions. During this period, gender-based industrial segregation decreased significantly. The second part examines the post-war Soviet era (1945–1991). A declining birth rate, attributed to the “double burden” of work and family responsibilities borne by women, prompted the state to rethink its approach to gender equality in the workplace. Initially, the focus on maximizing women’s employment was supplemented by efforts to place women in relatively light yet well-paid jobs. Later, policies aimed to create “favorable conditions for women to balance professional and family responsibilities” and eventually called for women to “return to the family.” This period saw the entrenchment of stereotypes depicting women as workers encumbered by family duties, an increase in workplace discrimination, and the emergence of an upward trend in gender-based industrial segregation. This was characterized by the concentration of women in non-manufacturing sectors and men in material production. The third part (1992–2024) explores the post-Soviet history of state regulation of women’s employment. This era began with the legislative establishment of equality not only in rights but also in opportunities for men and women, as well as equal parental responsibilities in child-rearing. However, the focus gradually shifted back toward protectionist policies for women, including the revival of practices regulating the professional composition of employed women. According to Rosstat data, despite the adoption of gender-neutral labor legislation, modern Russian society—steeped in traditional gender roles and emphasizing women’s role as mothers—has seen an increase in the polarization of gender distributions across traditionally “male” and “female” industries.