Though the Soviet Union has bragged about the different opportunities that women had under Soviet Socialism, including the ability to work and get awards, to raise children while working, and to be breadwinners for the house. However, while these were possibilities, it is far from the truth of what happened to women in the Soviet Union. They were forced to meet quotas while also raising children, which was an incredibly difficult thing to do. Women were forced to consume media that depicted this perfect Soviet woman, without it being actually attainable. Was this simply due to the fact that gender roles are constantly forced on women anyways? Or is it because they were exposed to Soviet Socialism as well?
Through the Iron Curtain
I think that both gender roles and Soviet Socialism could be the cause of these harsh ideals for women. As we saw with the writers of “Soviet Woman” they are female writers who are pushing the narrative of the ideal Soviet woman onto their readers. Yet, I don’t think they would be writing these things without the influence of traditional gender roles and ideas of what Soviet Socialists should be. I think the big problem with the ideal of the perfect Soviet woman is that it rids women in the Soviet Union of the autonomy and choice over their lives- which to me is true liberation for women.