Surely you know that the USSR was one of the first countries in the world where women were allowed to vote. You may have heard that during the early Soviet period, feminist ideology was growing rapidly in the country. A woman began to be considered a full independent partner – an independent person, whose interests are not limited to ensuring the life of the family.
Of course, many of the cardinal ideas of the communists about the new order society remained in the past. But for some laws we should thank them today. It was therefore at the very beginning of the history of the USSR, in 1917, that the authorities gave women the right to go on maternity leave!
Soviet ideology called motherhood “the main purpose of a woman, an important social function”. The birth of children should not have affected the labor activity of the inhabitants of the USSR. Moreover, sitting at home with children and being a housewife was simply unacceptable – so as not to be seen as a parasite in the eyes of others.
At first, the decree in the USSR lasted 112 days – 56 days before childbirth and 56 days after. However, over time, mothers have the opportunity to take additional unpaid leave: the first – up to three months, and after – for up to a year. From 1989 to date, you can take three years of parental leave.