Moscow, Jan 20: Facing a demographic crisis in
the wake of the Soviet collapse, Russia has declared 2008 as
the year of family, but the face of the family in the country
is undergoing change as more `moms` are opting to go alone.
Single mothers used to be frowned upon in the Soviet
Union, but now one in three babies are born out of wedlock,
according to Russia Today TV.
Many Russian women no longer need the financial
security men provide.
To take a cue from celebrities, pop singer Sasha
Zvereva has a glittering career, a four-year-old daughter and
another baby on the way in the summer.
She has no intention of marrying the father of her
children. The couple believe love and commitment are not about
formalities and their view is becoming popular.
Twenty years ago one in ten children was born out of
wedlock and now it is three in 10.
"Women have become more educated and less financially
dependent on men. But they still want children. So they don`t
hesitate to become mothers without being married," said Valery
Elizarov, head of centre for population studies told the TV.
Elizarov believes Russia is simply picking up a trend
already common in the US and Europe.
In Sweden, over half the children are born out of
wedlock while in the US and UK, it is about 40 per cent.
Leading feminist activist Maria Arbatova says there is
a wide disparity in the educational and emotional levels of
women and men, which is obviously in favour of women.
"Russian women are better educated in the wider sense,
while of the men mostly rely on rough masculine force. That`s
why they feel uncomfortable in marriage", Arbatova says.
In her book published last year Arbatova had said that
Indian husbands would be ideal for the Russian women.
Bureau Report
