Boris M. Maklyarsky
Institute for Labor Studies and Comparative Politics,
Russian Academy of Sciences
Moscow, 125319, ul.Usievicha 8, ap.122
RUSSIA
TEL: (095) 152-62-56
The experience of market economies testifies that public pressure is a necessary prerequisite for efficient environmental policy. In Russia, specifics of the contemporary model of environmental protest are a reflection of the uniqueness of national political and economic situation, of the instability and incompleteness in a formation of social structure.
Academic description and research of environmental interests in Russia should become an initial point of the analysis of the composition, forms and methods of the national environmental movement. Environmental interests - comprehension of an objective nature of environmental needs by various social groups and elaboration of adequate demands given their own concerns. Various social groups as bearers of environmental interests quite often have different and even contradicting economic interests.
The women's movement has comparative advantages in this realm. Women's groups hold a special place in the political spectrum of the country. In contrast to most political parties their programmes are not tied to ideological dogmas and are more oriented to the solution of concrete social tasks. Large women's organizations are certainly able to develop their own environmental strategy.
The women's environmental movement is inclined to formulate and implement environmental policy within the existing political and economic structures, without radically breaking from them. A politically-rational position, the use of environmental arguments, and a consistent stand of interests in nature conservation will strengthen the positions of women's organizations in Russian society and bring them visible social support.
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