MEASURES WERE TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SOVIET GEORGIA (1930S)

Abstract

The article discusses measures taken to improve women's status in Soviet Georgia in the 1930s. Many events aimed to emancipate women in the Soviet Union in the 1930s. During the first period of Bolshevik rule, the family as an institution was relatively weakened. The more informal ways of relations became popular. The situation changed under Joseph Stalin's dictatorship. Stalin, on the contrary, began to strengthen the institution of the family as a political and ideological basis. Stalin's policy used the norms of traditional social policy. Stalin looked at the issue more conservatively. Stalin preferred old-fashioned families to experiments on the drop in the birth rate during the first five-year plan.

The article discusses the changes that began in Soviet Georgia in the late 1920s and continued into the 1930s. The state has made several changes to increase women's participation in public life. The article evaluates the importance of the changes. In conclusion, there is still a disagreement between the two main views: the Bolsheviks wanted to liberate women and make them independent. Otherwise, they dismissed women from the domestic sphere to use their work in a socialist state's construction. Wendy Goldman believes that a socialist-libertarian tradition among the Bolsheviks ended in the 1930s, as industrialization became an arbitrator in state policy-making (Shulman, 2008: 31). Thus, industrialization has affected almost every field. Some historians ask the question differently and state that the main thing is not whether the Bolsheviks emancipated the women. The debate is going on to find out the purpose of the action. These historians think that the goal has always been to transform the domestic sphere and subjugate the female family role to the state. Thus, it is clear that the women's role has changed. They have received several rights and imposed certain obligations. Nevertheless, the state's policy made it possible to keep supporters among women and make changes in family life.

Key Words. Soviet Union; Women’s condition; Women; Stalin; Women’s role.