<P> Women in the USSR were considerably knowledgeable . Women's activism, due to the prominent position of women in Soviet society, played a key part in the speed at which perestroika affected the USSR . </P> <P> Sex equality was granted as early as 1918 . In the later years, organizations focused on the implementation of women into public life . They were allowed to teach, work and manage boarding schools and orphan homes for abandoned children . In the following years, the Soviet Women's Committee was established and broadened its network across the country . This committee focused upon assisting women to find employment and defending the Soviet Union . During the first years of perestroika, the women's councils were granted independence and varying levels of political significance . Not all the women's councils survived the post-perestroika years, but others managed to pull through, independently leading themselves forward--which signifies the success of the council . </P> <P> The activism of women may be broken down into two general sections: during perestroika (1985--1991) and after perestroika (1991--1993). During the first stage, the number or councils expanded in numbers rapidly, such that by the end of the event, there were 300 registered women's organizations in Russia . Until this day, five of these organizations have international status, two of them have a national status and as many as fourteen have a republican status . </P> <P> Throughout these different councils, many activities were established to enhance the amount and types of information a woman could learn in the Soviet Union . For example, the activities ranged from economic focus like providing services, running small businesses and training, to more general employment jobs like political lobbying and raising women's advocacy . Some female political leaders like Larisa Bogoraz, Valeria Novodvorskaya and Elena Bonner all established their power with the assistance of these organizations (even though they were the leaders of these dissident organizations in the Soviet times). </P>

This allowed more freedom in the soviet union