Gender and Family Law

This chapter provides an analysis of Russian legislation regarding marriage, family and parenthood in the context of gender-sensitive analysis. The first section introduces the basic analytical concepts used in this chapter, such as ‘the etatist gender order’ and ‘the gender contract of a working mother’, and outlines the social context of Russian family law. Further, an overview of Soviet family legislation and its development are presented in the following areas: marriage, divorce, parenthood, adoption, custody and guardianship. The chapter then examines how the positions of the state, family and women/men changed during the Soviet era. Next, an analytical overview of contemporary family law after 1990 focuses on contemporary issues...