Women's monthly salaries from formal employment remained at 65 percent of men's in 1992 and 1995. Differences between Smith 5men's and women's wages decreased from 36 percent to 14 percent at the lower end of the wage distribution scale between 1992 and 1995. Differences increased at the upper end of the scale. Men in the 90th percentile of wages earned almost 50 percent more than women in the 90th percentile in 1995. The private sector has expanded rapidly as a result of the privatization of state enterprises and the creation of new private businesses. Since 1993, many private and public initiatives have been launched to help privatized enterprises become viable and competitive in both domestic and international markets. Efforts have also been underway to foster the growth of new businesses, particularly small business. But lack of start-up capital and access to loans with reasonable interest rates as well as corruption, are serious obstacles. Women confront additional hurdles. These include cultural and social biases and negative stereotypes of businesswomen in the media. Women's low representation in positions of economic and political decision making in the national and local governments also limits their access to connections that their male counterparts have to set themselves up as entrepreneurs. Some local governments have taken the initiative to foster skills training for women entrepreneurs and are offering information about financing alternatives. Progress on these fronts is slow. As women's experience in other countries indicates, economic prosperity alone is insufficient to remedy persistent gender inequalities in the labor force and other areas. Women's ability to change government policies is hindered by their limited representation in political leadership as well as by cultural and social attitudes. The existence of a women's party in Russia (Zhenshina Rossii) reveals a willingness on the part of w...
