Russia: Russia's Daughters
30 minutes, 2001
Ref: 151

In post-communist Russia, tens of thousands of young women work as prostitutes and strippers. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, unemployment in Russia has skyrocketed. Not only that, but for many young Russian women, the sex industry is seen as a prestigious career. On the other hand, 32 year old stripper Nicole dreams of being a lawyer but does not have the "connections or money" to get into university. Then again, for most, an academic career means living below the poverty line. Meanwhile, at Russia's first crisis centre for women, workers estimate that there are 600,000 crimes against women annually in Russia and nearly 15,000 women are killed each year by their husbands.