Russian court rules transgender woman was fired illegally
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A Russian court has ruled that a transgender woman was fired illegally after she was let go when she transitioned.
Anna Grigoryeva had been working for a printing press in Russia for 10 years before she came out as transgender, according to Radio Free Europe.
However, when Grigoryeva registered as a woman in 2017, she was let go. The employer claimed that they had to fire her because of a government law introduced in 2000 which stops women from working in over 35 industries.
That law was ruled to be in violation of women’s rights and in need of amendment by the United Nations in 2016.
The court ordered the printing company to give transgender woman Anna Grigoryeva her job back
In a ruling yesterday (April 9), the Frunze District Court ordered that Grigoryeva must be offered her job back.
They also instructed the printing company to pay her 10,000 rubles (£118) in compensation and 1.8 million rubles (£21,366) in backpay.
“For the first time in Russia, a transgender person has managed to defend her labour rights in court.”
– Anna Grigoryeva’s lawyer Maksim Olenichev
Grigoryeva’s lawyer, Maksim Olenichev told RFE/RL that the victory set a “very important precedent” in Russia.
“For the first time in Russia, a transgender person has managed to defend her labour rights in court,” the lawyer added.
Olenichev also said the verdict “will give a confidence boost to transgender people to defend their rights in Russia.”
Pride (Pexels)
Russia’s laws continue to affect LGBT+ people and women
The United Nations ruled that Russia’s archaic law which prohibits women from working in a wide variety of sectors was discriminatory when a Russian woman was denied a job on a boat as it was on the list of banned occupations.
The woman—Svetlana Medvedeva—graduated in 2005 as a navigation officer and in 2012 was selected by a company in the Samara region to work at the helm of a boat.
However, she was subsequently rejected and told that hiring her would put them in violation of the law, as she was prohibited from working in that area because of her gender.
Russia has also developed a reputation for being anti-LGBT+, and introduced its “gay propaganda” law in 2013, which prohibits promoting homosexuality to young people.
A report released last December by Human Rights Watch found that the “gay propaganda” law is directly harming and endangering LGBT+ children and young people.
Through a series of interviews with young LGBT+ people in Russia, the group found that there had been an intensification of stigma, harassment and violence since the law was introduced.
They also found that the law was preventing LGBT+ people from accessing inclusive education and support services.
