WOMEN:

Although women said that there are not big differences between men's and women's
problems, they agreed that there are some specific aspects what men will stress more strongly
and in the first order.
Thus, one can see that on women's opinion men are thinking about more general
problems -politics, economy etc. and after that about personal, connected with family problems.
This, of course, does not mean that men are now less responsible for the family. And women
appreciate it very much.
Women think that men are in quite bad situation now. Many of them had to change jobs
during the transition period and if you have to do it very often, it is not good.
Complicated situation on the labor market has several bad consequences. On one hand,
some men (particularly new entrepreneurs) work very hard, almost without holidays. They are
real 'workaholics', they do not go to the doctor. The result is that mortality rate among middleaged men in Estonia has increased significantly. On the other hand, men who have lost the job
and are not able to find a new one, are depressed. It also causes the health problems.
Focus group discussions showed that people in Estonia quite strongly support traditional
gender role behavior. There is clear conception what is men's duties and what is women's ones.
Usually people do not speak about this, it is simply accepted and followed. But now, there is
some transformation of gender roles in the society and men quite often cannot act as they are
used to. Because of that women (specially Russian women) think that men's situation at present
time is more complicated compared with that of women and men need even some protection.
By traditional understanding husband is the main breadwinner in the family. But now this
role of husband is sometimes limited due to several reasons (unemployment, low salaries). And it
is very hard for men to be in this situation.
It may have several bad consequences. Health problems were mentioned already earlier,
but it may cause misunderstandings also in the family. Discussants gave several examples when
families fell apart because husband could not act as breadwinner in the family.
Thus, one can conclude that according to women's opinion men would like to act as it has
been traditionally common during the long time period - to take care of the family welfare.
Women role, at the same time, would be to take care of home and children. Women thought that
men would not, in principle, object women's staying at home, but they can not allow it because
men can not earn enough money for their families. If to take a look at women's own opinion
about their staying at home one can see a picture which is quite typical for women of the former
USSR. Concretely - women who have worked since graduation from secondary or vocational
schools, in other words have been on the labor market most of their life, would like with pleasure
to stay at home. But they have one demand - husband would earn enough money for the family.
MEN:
Men as a whole discussed in focus groups much more about general things: politics,
economics, ethnic relations (especially Russian men in Narva) etc. - as women expected. But
men were ready to speak also about gender problems when they were asked to speak
One Russian man from Tallinn said, that problems are the same, but perhaps it is even
harder for women nowadays, they feel things more acute and become panic-stricken.

MUCO, S. A.

Another situation appeared when the question was formulated in a little bit different way:
'What do you think, would women name the same things under those improvements and
problems, or would they point out anything else, additional?'
Now men found several problems concerning first of all women. They also added some
aspects of everyday life not mentioned before, but what they think are important for women.
Looking at these problems and additional aspects one can see that men also support and quite
strongly traditional gender role behavior. In other words - women are responsible for the family
and children, men should guarantee the welfare of the family.
Women are certainly more affected by family problems. Men see where to get money;
women are more INTERESTED in how to make life at home best. It is, of course, different.
It seems that men understand double burden of women (taking care of the family and
children and working at the same time), also problems connected with this. Because of that some
of men said we (men) should pay more attention to women. However, between the lines was:
men have their role to play, women have their own, gender roles should be taken as given.
Some men tried to explain this division of tasks between men and women even from
psychological (philosophical?) point of view:
As it is explained very clearly and conclusively by psychologists, that very much
depends on individual thinking, so I believe that this list would be another to such
a degree, how far women are engaged in another business and because of that
they see things from another angle. Actually I thought we would run a masculine
discuss here, but I can't say exactly what would be in another way by women.
Apparently there would be something in connection with family and children,
something more concrete.
As women are considered to be responsible for family and children, they are considered
to worry about the family safety and security too. Because of that women would put this problem
on the first place.
Men tried to explain why there is no security and why women are worried about this. At
the same time this explanation sounded also like some self-defense, justification for giving
reason why men cannot guarantee the welfare of the family.
More surprising was that Estonian men made some accusation towards women, saying
that Finno-Ugric women have greater demands.
Speaking about and supporting on one hand traditional gender role behavior, men at the
same time recognized that some things are changing. First of all is the age of marriage. Women
do not get married and bear in very young age as it was earlier. Transition period has brought
along much interesting and people try to take every opportunity.

MUCO, S. A.