Russian feminist runs for Duma to take on domestic violence
MOSCOW (AP) Alyona Popovas campaign rhetoric is blunt: Unless she is elected to parliament, there wont be much hope for a law against domestic violence in Russia.
One of the countrys most ardent feminists, Popova has fought for years to lobby members of the State Duma to adopt legislation to protect women without success. So she decided to run herself in the election in which voting begins Friday and runs through Sunday.
Popova believes she has a good chance of winning and will be able to push through a domestic violence law. Analysts and recent actions by Russian authorities, however, suggest that both face an uphill battle.
Few reliable official statistics are kept on violence against women in Russia, but it is clearly a national problem. Police routinely turn a blind eye to domestic abuse, and restraining orders dont exist, leaving victims without a key protection.
https://apnews.com/article/europe-religion-russia-elections-violence-83c6446d2d7813c4f2900c852e4bf08b