Address: P.O. box 97, Zarechniy-city, 624051, Sverdlovsk region.
Contact persons:
Nina Mikhel, chairwoman of the Coordination council of women of the city;
Lidiya Fleisher, member of the Council of public, party organizations and movements;
telephone: 7 (34377) 318-18, 327-42, 364-42;
tel./fax: 7 (3432) 26-65-09;
fax: 7 (34377) 360-92.

Our independent women's organization was established in 1989 incorporating women's councils of enterprises and organizations of Zarechniy-city into Coordination council of women with the aim to coordinate the activity. Women themselves decided to join and set up an independent women's organization, which, then, participated in the work of the First and Second Independent Women's Forums.

The participation in election campaigns to Regional Duma, municipal elections, President elections, elections to the bodies of local self-government united us.

We organized a work assisting the residents of our city in legal education. Twice a week any inhabitant can take legal advice in our reception-room.

Together with the Moscow Center for Gender Studies we run the seminar "Women-Leaders: Activization of Civic Initiative". The seminar evoked great interest among women of the Ural remote places. We organized a series of round-table discussions on the following themes: "Interaction with the Structures of Local Self-Government Power Bodies", "Problems and Legal Provision for Disabled Children", "Forming Public Opinion on Problems of Child's Drug Addition". We took part in the city conference dedicated to this problem.

At present, the tendency to create "pocket" organizations, including women's ones, by local power bodies through which they will try to form and introduce artificially public opinion excites apprehension. We are trying to keep independence. The authority of our organization, even in the framework of its modest status of the independent social structure, enables us to influence effectively the municipal events.

Nina Mikhel,
Lidiya Fleisher