As I have already seen last year, at first sight Russia seems to be very equal in terms of gender labour’s division. Women do almost every job. Actually Russia seems (and probably is) driven by its women. You would then expect to see men spending more time with their family like they do in Sweden. (The large number of Swedish men pushing baby-trolleys on the streets of Stockholm is a very refreshing picture of normality).
On the contrary, here in St. Petersburg I am impressed me by the quantity of children and adolescents wandering up and down Nevskiy Prospekt accompanied only by their mother.
In fact, Russia is still very unequal. Many men do not have an appropriate consideration of women. You can see it from the representation of women on Russian TV, which is sometimes more vulgar that Italian TV (yes, it is possible).
So if they are not at work, not at home … where are the men over forty years of age? Reality unfortunately seems worse than stereotypes to me.
So many men (certainly not the majority but a very visible minority) smell alcohol on the subway, so many do not step right on the streets. So many have on the face the signs of liver’s diseases. At cafes on the morning you see glasses of beer instead of cups of coffee… I do not know the figures; I describe what I see around me. I have read something though, and the situation is even darker.
Drunk on some bench, or worse sick in some hospital, worse again: dead. Life expectancy is much lower than what would be normal for a man in Russia.
There are so many just married couples taking pictures on the Griboedeva canal, next to the glittering Church of Saviour on the Blood. I look at them and I hope the groom is really Mr. Right, the one who will be still able to wake up and go to work in 20 years time.
And I look at these often beautiful women walking alone on the streets with their complete set: décolleté, miniskirt, high heels, make up… I might not agree with the method but I wish they get what they really deserve: a man who doesn’t have breakfast with beer.
On the contrary, here in St. Petersburg I am impressed me by the quantity of children and adolescents wandering up and down Nevskiy Prospekt accompanied only by their mother.
In fact, Russia is still very unequal. Many men do not have an appropriate consideration of women. You can see it from the representation of women on Russian TV, which is sometimes more vulgar that Italian TV (yes, it is possible).
So if they are not at work, not at home … where are the men over forty years of age? Reality unfortunately seems worse than stereotypes to me.
So many men (certainly not the majority but a very visible minority) smell alcohol on the subway, so many do not step right on the streets. So many have on the face the signs of liver’s diseases. At cafes on the morning you see glasses of beer instead of cups of coffee… I do not know the figures; I describe what I see around me. I have read something though, and the situation is even darker.
Drunk on some bench, or worse sick in some hospital, worse again: dead. Life expectancy is much lower than what would be normal for a man in Russia.
There are so many just married couples taking pictures on the Griboedeva canal, next to the glittering Church of Saviour on the Blood. I look at them and I hope the groom is really Mr. Right, the one who will be still able to wake up and go to work in 20 years time.
And I look at these often beautiful women walking alone on the streets with their complete set: décolleté, miniskirt, high heels, make up… I might not agree with the method but I wish they get what they really deserve: a man who doesn’t have breakfast with beer.
No comments:
Post a Comment