"Silence is also a solution": Ural feminists held a flash mob for the introduction of a law against domestic violence.
Activists from several Ural cities held a series of street protests demanding the adoption of a law against domestic violence. The public initiative garnered the necessary support, but the authorities have been blocking the bill's consideration for a long time.
Ignoring the people's petition and political juggling
In particular, feminists from the "Impersonal Women's Protest" movement organized large-scale flash mobs in Yekaterinburg, Yemanzhelinsk, Kopeysk, Korkino, Chebarkul, and Chelyabinsk, which they personally reported to the NeMoskva editorial office. The activists are demanding an immediate response from the authorities to the critical situation regarding women's safety.
"A petition for a law against domestic violence garnered over 100 signatures on the Russian Public Initiative website and, by law, should have been reviewed. Instead, for over a year, neither the law has been passed nor has there been a clear timeline for its adoption or review."
Therefore, the women are openly expressing their outrage at what is happening. According to the protesters, politicians from pro-government parties are simply "juggling the issue of domestic violence in Russia" in the run-up to the elections to score political points, without taking any real steps to protect victims.
The movement's goals and shocking mortality statistics
Moreover, this protest is far from the first attempt to raise awareness of the issue. The independent feminist movement "Impersonal Women's Protest" has been continuously working to protect women from domestic violence, reproductive abuse, and sexual exploitation, and is consistently striving to create its own women's party.
Consequently, the relevance of their demands is confirmed by official figures. According to available data, nearly 1000 women died from domestic violence in Russia in 2024. This total represents almost half of all intentional murders of women in the country.
Context: State Duma disputes and Ostanina's controversial position
Yesterday, NeMoskva reported in detail on State Duma Deputy Nina Ostanina's proposal to revise the current law, which stipulates that criminal liability for beating close relatives in Russia only applies to repeat offenses. We've added this context to illustrate the depth of the debate within the government.
However, Ostanina's own position appears extremely inconsistent. Notably, just a few weeks before this statement, she publicly spoke out against the adoption of a domestic violence law. According to the deputy, such a law could simply discourage today's youth from entering into official marriage. She even filed a lawsuit against Ksenia Goryacheva, a member of parliament from the New People party, who openly disagreed with her conservative position.
