Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Lawmaker Says Sexual Harassment Legislation Would Be 'Excessive'

State Duma member Tamara Pletneva Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

A senior Russian lawmaker has suggested that possible legislation against sexual harassment would be unnecessary and could turn Russian women into overly sensitive Europeans.

At least five women journalists have stepped up to accused State Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky of sexual harassment in the past month, sparking a nationwide debate about the necessity for legislation to address the problem.

Tamara Pletneva, the head of the State Duma’s committee on family, women and children, told the Govorit Moska radio station on Friday that legislation against sexual harassment would be “absolutely excessive.”

“If we sign something like that into law, we will start looking like European women, who can’t be touched at all and see everything as harassment, while maybe [secretly] dreaming about it,” Pletneva said.

“Only those who probably want it themselves and who provoke get harassed,” she added.

In response to the allegations against Slutsky last week, Pletneva suggested that female journalists should “dress more appropriately in a government institution instead of walking around with bare belly buttons.”

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more