Feedback On April 8, 2025, the Higher School of Social Sciences, within the framework of the UXIL project (“Universities in Exile”), hosted a conference “Women in the Struggle for Individual and Social Rights and Freedoms in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia”.
Researchers in the field of history, sociology and other social sciences, as well as human rights defenders and theater activists made presentations in the following sections: History and Memory: Women’s path in the struggle for individual freedoms and rights in Russia; Women art activists against war and authoritarianism; Women political prisoners and their struggle in countries with authoritarian regimes.
In the section “Men’s professions” and “glass ceiling”: Women’s struggle for equality in employment, Olga Abramenko, expert of ADC Memorial, spoke about the #AllJobs4AllWomen advocacy campaign, resulted in the cancellation or reduction of the discriminative “lists of prohibited professions” that in 10 countries of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. In Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, these lists have been abolished; in Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, they apply only to pregnant and breastfeeding women; Russia, Belarus, and Tajikistan are gradually reducing the lists.