Feminists stood up for their movement: “There is no radicalism”

Women took up arms against the opinion of the deputy Matveychev

The terrorist attack in St. Petersburg, which led to the death of military commander Vladlen Tatarsky, led to unexpected consequences. Darya Trepova, suspected in the murder of Tatarsky, used to be a member of the fem-community of St. Petersburg. On this basis, State Duma deputy Oleg Matveychev proposed to abolish feminism in Russia. And not just to abolish, but to recognize it as an extremist ideology by issuing an appropriate law.

Trepova was “an active feminist,” the deputy recalled. And feminism itself is “a web thrown into Russia by the West, which destroys traditional values.” “Now we need to check how much money they (fem-movements) live on there now, and some of them are now foreign agents.”

Oleg Matveychev said that he had already submitted to the Duma commission to investigate the facts of interference of foreign states in the internal affairs of Russia a bill recognizing feminism in Russia as an extremist ideology.

Writer, playwright and public figure Maria Arbatova, in a conversation with MK, expressed her point of view.

– Feminists are engaged in the struggle for the right to make decisions in power structures and in the labor market, the fight against domestic violence, etc. Does Matveychev consider the humiliated position of women, the legitimacy of violence against them as traditional values? Wouldn’t he start on this occasion with the dismissal of Nabiullina, Pamfilova, Moskalkova, etc.? by gender?

And the fact that Trepova positioned herself as a radical feminist has nothing to do with the activities of the women’s movement. Anyone can be a radical, but all women in Russia are feminists, because they want to receive equal pay with men, equal rights and opportunities.

Judging by the social networks, Trepova was not an active member of the femmovement in the organization adjoining the RFO “ONA”. There are no photos from actions, meetings or protests.

– The modern fem-movement has a program, – says Valeria, a historian of the fem-movement, a teacher at the university. “But there is nothing radical or even new in the political demands of Russian feminists. Equality, counteraction to domestic violence, harassment, tougher liability for involvement in pornography, fight against stalking (harassment), protection of victims of domestic violence, etc.

I also want to note that feminism in our country did not appear in the USSR. At the end of the 19th century, women in Russia had already begun to fight for their rights. One of the first was the organization ZHOR (“Women’s Society for Equality”), founded in 1905. In the West today there are different directions of the fem-movement. However, for all the years of struggle and protests, there was only one, perhaps, an offshoot that can be linked to terrorism. The Feminist Terrorist Cell was active in the United States in the 1970s and was responsible for a number of bombings and other violent acts. These actions have been condemned by most feminists and do not represent a common position in the struggle for gender equality. In comparison, eco-activists or freedom fighters of different nations have carried out many more terrorist attacks. To Russia, I emphasize, all this does not apply in any way.