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Machista, anti-abortion, and xenophobic groups flourish in Russia amid war
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Machista, anti-abortion, and xenophobic groups flourish in Russia amid war

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Nationalist, anti-abortion, and xenophobic groups are gaining prominence in Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
  • These organizations promote conservative values and traditional family structures, often clashing with liberal Western ideals.
  • While security forces crack down on opposition and LGBTQ+ groups, they often overlook or even collaborate with these conservative organizations.

Amidst the war in Ukraine, Russia is witnessing a surge in nationalist, anti-abortion, and xenophobic organizations. These groups champion conservative values and traditional family structures, positioning them as distinct from liberal Western ideals. While Russian security forces actively suppress opposition movements and LGBTQ+ associations, they frequently turn a blind eye to, or even cooperate with, these conservative entities.

Russia has long lacked patriarchy and equality, but it does have a state matriarchy, where 72% of civil servants are women, and this trend is increasing.

— Andrei Brezguin, director of Muzhskoi PutBrezguin describes his view of the gender balance in Russian society and government.

These organizations often promote extreme patriarchal views and propagate hate speech against various groups, sometimes even criticizing the government for being too liberal. Muzhskoi Put (The Male Path) is one such organization advocating for men's rights and a strictly patriarchal family structure. Its director, Andrei Brezguin, argues that Russia suffers from a "state matriarchy" due to the high percentage of women in civil service and claims men face "enormous (legal) risks," discouraging family formation.

Brezguin advocates for policies that encourage childbirth and cease funding for abortions. This aligns with the broader anti-abortion movement, exemplified by the 'March for Life' protests. Eugene Rosenblum, a coordinator for these protests, stated their ultimate goal is a total ban on abortion, welcoming any intermediate measures. These movements, flourishing under the war's reinforcement of Russian nationalism, are not attracting the attention of Russian law enforcement, which often targets associations combating gender-based violence and animal shelters instead.

Considering the enormous (legal) risks that men face in Russia, most refuse to form a family and have children.

— Andrei BrezguinBrezguin explains why he believes men are hesitant to start families.

In contrast, LGBTQ+ venues face constant police scrutiny, with raids and arrests of coordinators. This selective enforcement highlights a broader trend where civil initiatives not aligned with the Kremlin's promoted conservative values are systematically repressed, while those that align, even if promoting exclusionary ideologies, are often tolerated or supported.

Our ultimate goal is the total prohibition of abortion, but we welcome any intermediate measure in that direction.

— Eugene Rosenblum, 'March for Life' coordinatorRosenblum outlines the anti-abortion movement's objectives.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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