Today the Russian society provides more equal opportunities for women and men. But what is still hard for women is to arrange their personal life, to bring up children and to secure themselves against violence.

MOSCOW, March 6, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of the survey concerning the attitudes of Russians towards gender equality and the evolution of the rights of women over the recent ten or fifteen years.

Most of respondents (79%)  regard the 8^th of March as the women`s day (94% of those who live in Moscow and St.Petersburg). For 15% of Russians it is an ordinary day; most of them are women (18% vs 13% of men). Only 5% of respondents associate this day with the movement for the emancipation; they are basically young Russians (9%) than elderly respondents (4%).

Both men and women notice that the gender equality has strengthened in Russia. Ninety percent of respondents mention gender equality in education (80% in 2006). The number of those who think that women have equal right to get job according to their specialisation,  those who think that women get good salaries and can take part in political life of the country has increased (from 48% to 76%, from 47% to 75%, from 48% to 74%, respectively). At the same time, every fifth Russian is confident that men have more career opportunities (19%), decent pay (20%) and more social and political activities (19%).

According to three-quarters of respondents (76%), both genders` representatives have equal rights to rest. Fewer respondents mention equal family duties (67%), but this share is much higher than it was in 2006 (49%).

Today men and women have plenty of equal opportunities but this is not enough. According to half or respondents, over the recent fifteen years more women have found it easier to take care of themselves (53%) and to do housekeeping (46%). Nearly 40% agree that it is easier for women to get education they want (42%), to fulfill their potential in business and politics (40%). But they are opposed by 48% of those who believe that women have had more difficulties searching for job (however, this share has decreased from 65% since 2006). Respondents are divided in their opinion on women`s opportunities to get superior position: one-third of them think that the situation has changed for the better (34%); the other part believes that the situation has worsened (38%).

Half of respondents  (50%) complain that today it is harder for women to bring up their children, however there has been a decrease in the share of such respondents  since 2006 (71%). Forty-two percent of respondents cite that curently women find it more difficult to arrange their personal life compared to 2000. The share of those who believe that women can hardly potect themselves against violence has decreased from 68% in 2006 to 41% in 2015.

The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on February 14-15, 2015. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 132 communities in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.

In your opinion, are the rights of men and women equal in different spheres of life in modern Russia? (closed-ended question, one answer per each line)

How have the opportunities of women changed over the recent 10 or 15 years? (closed-ended question, one answer per each line)

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!