O legado do Jenotdel para a emancipação das mulheres: o papel ativo da mulher soviética na superação do patriarcado e da sociedade de classes

Abstract

This study analyzes the emancipatory project of women during the Russian Revolution, with emphasis on the legacy of female protagonism and their active political-historical role - from the trajectory of Soviet revolutionaries to the pioneering and unprecedented experience of the Zhenotdel (1919–1930), recognized as the first governmental body specifically dedicated to addressing women's issues within a state. Based on a literature review, the research explores the intersection between patriarchy and class domination, contextualized through contemporary theoretical reflections. Engaging with the Marxist feminist tradition, the study examines how the concept of the “new woman” materialized in Soviet revolutionary practice, particularly through the institutionalization of public policies aimed at the socialization of reproductive labor - that is, domestic and caregiving work - as a necessary condition for increasing women's participation in public life and social production. The creation of the Zhenotdel was both a product of women’s active engagement in the revolutionary process and a state instrument for promoting equality. Despite facing internal party tensions and resistance to transforming patriarchal relations, its legacy - especially in terms of reproductive rights (such as broad access to divorce and abortion), political inclusion, and collective welfare through state-supported care services - remains underrecognized. By recovering this historical experience, the research contributes to reclaiming the class-based character of socialist feminism and its relevance in imagining emancipatory alternatives that address both class and gender oppression in the contemporary neoliberal context.