Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations recalled Russia's important role in the fight for women's rights

Russia is a pioneer in the issue of gender equality. In our country, women were the first in the world to receive the right to vote and apply it back in 1917. Maria Zabolotskaya, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations (UN), told Izvestia about this on March 8.

"Our country is a pioneer of equality between men and women. It was in our country that women were the first in the world to receive the right to participate in elections and applied it during the formation of the Constituent Assembly in 1917," she recalled.

Zabolotskaya said that on March 8, the main body of the UN system for the empowerment of women, the Commission on the Status of Women, begins work. The events will be attended by high-ranking delegations from all over the world. The Russian delegation will be represented by Magomed Abdulkhalimov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Development.

"This year, China, together with Egypt and Malaysia, invites us to discuss the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to protect women's rights, the African Union will draw attention to the problem of child marriage, and Brazil to the issue of femicide, that is, the killing of women and girls based on gender," Zabolotskaya said.

The diplomat also noted that the United Nations is currently under attack from the information war against Russia. The European Union (EU) plays a special role in this, which directly prohibits member states from interacting with the Russian Federation. It is reported that the process is accompanied by the imposition of harsh and unconstructive approaches to diplomacy.

"As for Western countries, the European Union takes the most unconstructive position towards our country. I want to emphasize that we are talking primarily about this association as such. This structure prevents its member states from developing a dialogue with Russia and beyond," she said.

Bouquet romance: Russians' spending on flowers increased by almost 10% before March 8

In addition to classic bouquets, primroses in the ground are chosen as a gift.

Anna Kotelnikova, a florist at the flower studio chain, said on March 8 that before International Women's Day, men are more likely to worry not about the price of a bouquet, but about the fact that it may seem too formal or insufficiently significant a gift. She also added that the scale of congratulations also creates complexity: flowers are bought not only for the beloved, but also for the mother, grandmother, daughter and colleagues.

On March 4, Russia and China opposed the approval of the work program of the American presidency of the UN Security Council for March 2026. The Security Council's work program is an informal way to inform members of the organization, journalists and other interested parties about upcoming events. The meeting is officially considered approved only on the day of its holding, when the Council finally approves the agenda.

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