Police, Prosecutors, and Ping-Pong: Legal Barriers

Chapter 3 focuses on the obstacles inherent in the domestic legal system itself, inhibiting women from making claims about gender discrimination in Russian police structures and courts. Here we examine both the legal obstacles and the practical barriers to bringing such cases. The law enforcement system creates incentives for police not to investigate cases that are hard to solve, such as on discrimination. In cases of domestic violence, court rulings may not produce satisfying results. Courts are reluctant to recognize gender-based employment discrimination. Sexual harassment in the workplace is not acknowledged in Russian law. Lawyers’ lack of legal training in discrimination law adds to the difficulty of proving discrimination in court.