CinderellaGoesToMarket:Citizenship,Gender,灰姑娘

Thepurposeofthisbookistwofold.ItintroducesWesternreaderstotheverydifferentlivedexperienceofwomeninformerstatesocialistcountries.ItalsoexploresthedifficultiesincommunicationwhichstillexistbetweenEastandWest,evenaftertheendoftheColdWar.Women'sstatusinEastCentralEuropeischaracterizedbyparadoxandcontradiction,bothbeforeandafter1989.Thisstudyattemptstounravelthelegacyofstatesocialism,aswellastheproblemsoftransformation,inordertodistinguishelementsofcontinuityandchange.Statesocialismattemptedtoachievewomen's"emancipation"vialegislationandsocialprovision.Butitfocusedalmostexclusivelyonissuesconnectedwiththeparticipationofwomeninthelabourforce,andwasexperiencedlessasemancipationandmoreasexploitation.Familylifewasvaluedasa"private"sphereprotected,tosomedegree,fromStateintervention.Incontrasthowever,noneofthenewly-democratizedregimesofEastCentralEuropehaveincludedtheimprovementofwomen'sstatusontheiragenda.Women'spoliticalrepresentationinthenewparliamentsisdramaticallylowerthanintheparliamentsofstatesocialism.WomencurrentlyformthemajorityoftheunemployedinmostofEastCentralEurope,yettherearefewre-trainingprogrammesspecificallydesignedforthem.Childcarefacilitiesandothersocialwelfarerightsarebeinglostintheatmosphereofwholesalerejectionofthestatesocialistpast.Inaddition,thereisnotraditionoffightingforrights.Inthevacuumleftbythedemiseofstatesocialism,growingnationalismandaresuscitatedideologyofthefamilyreinforcetheeconomy'sneedtoshedlabour,relegatingwomentoprimaryresponsibilityforthefamily.Theattackonabortionrightsinmanycountriesissymptomaticofattitudestowardstheroleofwomen.Thereisawidespread"allergy"tofeminism,whichisassociatedwithstatesocialism.Understatesocialismcivilsocietywassuppressed,althoughwomendidplayanimportantroleinthedissidentmovements.Inthenewdemocracies,paradoxically,civilsocietyhasbeenmarginalized.Understandingthereasonsforthenon-emergenceofagrassrootswomen'smovementcanhelpustounderstandwhythishashappened.ThisbookisaguidetothepastandpresentsituationofwomeninEasternandCentralEurope.Itraisesquestionsaboutthenatureofdemocraticgovernmentandwomen'scitizenshipwithinanydemocraticsociety.Drawingoninterviewsandinformationgatheredfromarangeofpersonalandprofessionalcontacts,BarbaraEinhornoffersreadersacommentaryonthewaysinwhichthechangesinwomen'sdailylivesarebeingrepresentedinliteratureandthemedia.