Russian Women in The Face of War against Ukraine

• In Event: War, Bodies, and Gender

Abstract

The article explores the role of Russian women in the war against Ukraine. On the Ukrainian side, stories of women’s involvement as volunteers and/or fighters have emerged, with nothing comparable in Russia. The article discusses the dominant aggressive patriarchal culture, which permeates not only the Russian military, but also the broader understanding of security – from legal limits on the women’s role as fighters, to public ridicule of the servicewomen as prostitutes (with rampant sexual abuse by male superiors). A particularly notable aspect is the role of the wives and mothers of the Russian soldiers: some have formed activist organizations openly lobbying against the war, while others personally encourage Russian soldiers to rape Ukrainian women. The investigation draws on historical background about women’s role in wartime violence (war crime perpetrators in other conflicts and their lack of punishment based on gender stereotyping, as well as the prominent role of Russia’s women in WWII).

Short Bio

Egle E. Murauskaite is a senior faculty specialist at the University of Maryland. Presently based in Lithuania, she works as a researcher and simulations designer for the ICONS Project. Egle is responsible for high-level political-military crises simulations in Europe, alongside academic research and government consulting projects. She has recently co-authored a book exploring the U.S., Russian, and Chinese perspectives on Gray Zone Warfare, and presently leads a research project on the impact of Western assistance in Ukraine. She has been working with unconventional security threats for the past 14 years – from gray zone warfare to proliferation of nuclear weapons. Egle is also a senior non-resident fellow with the Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis, and co-author of a monthly podcast “NYLA Update”. Egle lectures at Vilnius University and Kaunas University of Technology, and also regularly comments on security issues in national and international media. Egle holds a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris (International Security) and a Bachelor’s degree from SSE Riga (Economics and Business Management); her professional experience spans the Netherlands, Australia, Egypt, France, and the U.S.

Author

• Eglė Murauskaitė, University of Maryland, Vilnius University, Kaunas University of Technology