Russian Federation

Chairperson of the Federation Council of Russia (the upper chamber of parliament) Valentina Matvienko has been recognized to be the most influential woman in Russia for two years running. The list of the top 100 female figures in politics, culture and business is a project of the Russian media.

(Source: The Voice of Russia)

Several women leaders are hoping for a higher representation in parliament after the December 2 elections than the present 10 percent.
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Afghanistan woman member of Parliament, 30-year-old Malalai Joya, has been conferred the prestigious Anna Politkovskaya Award for her work in defending human rights. The award, set up in memory of Russian investigative journalist, Anna Poli-tkovskaya, who was killed in Moscow on October 7, 2006, is given every year to a woman human rights defender from a conflict zone in the world.
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Russia’s new public movement, which embraces the most successful of career women, is set on nominating a candidate who will win the 2018 presidential election.The movement’s leader Olga Kryshtanovskaya comments.

"The share of women in politics should increase, she says. Women make up 53 percent in the Russian society as a whole but only 6 percent engage in politics. The movement is set to attract more women to the policy-making process. Our aim is to secure a woman president for Russia in 2018."

The opinion poll

Until recently, Russian legislators completely ignored the respective rights of women. Only in 1996, the Russian government approved a regulation "concept for the advancement of women in the Russian Federation." One of the strategic goals, according to this concept is to facilitate the participation of women in decision-making at all levels.