More Russians Support Idea Of Female President Than Oppose It, Poll Shows

Kremlin and Moscow Environs Aerial View

(RIA Novosti – March 6, 2013)

Roughly two in five Russians would like to have a female president, a Levada Centre poll has shown, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on 6 March.

The poll, available at http://www.levada.ru/06-03-2013/rossiyane-o-roli-zhenshchin-v-politike, surveyed people’s views on the role of women in Russian politics by gauging responses to three questions.

The number of respondents who said they “definitely” approve of women in politics in general has remained steady since February 2012, at 75 per cent. The lowest recorded approval was in February 2008 at 68 per cent (75 per cent in January 2006). The same trend was observed for those who “definitely do not” – 22 per cent in February 2012 and February 2013, compared to 20 per cent in January 2006 and 23 per cent in February 2008.

However, there has been a decline in the number of those who back the idea of women holding senior state posts. In February 2012, this number stood at 70 per cent, four percentage points above the February 2013 reading of 66 per cent (70 per cent in January 2006, 64 per cent in February 2008). There has been a respective rise in the number of those who are against this idea: 28 per cent in February 2013, as opposed to 25 per cent in February 2012 (24 per cent – January 2006 and 28 per cent in February 2008).

Honing in on specific posts, 43 per cent of respondents said they would like to see a female president in Russia in the next 10-15 years. This marks a decline on February 2012 (46 per cent) and January 2006 (45 per cent), but a slight rise on February 2008 (41 per cent). Nevertheless, this still outweighs the number of people who are against this idea – 39 per cent in 2013 (41 per cent in 2012, 44 per cent in 2006 and 2008).

The poll was carried out on 15-18 February 2013 among 1,600 respondents in 45 Russian regions. The statistical discrepancy is less than 3.4 per cent.

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