Transgender woman fights for her rights in Russian court - and wins

[Rayan™]

It's the first time a transgender woman has fought for her labour rights in a Russian courtroom.

It was a brave step for Anastasia Vasilyeva (not her real name) to take her case to court.

It is the first time a transgender woman has fought for her labour rights in a Russian courtroom - and a huge leap for women's rights in Russia that she won.

Ms Vasilyeva was fired from her job at a St Petersburg printing press after she presented her employer with a new passport recognising her transition from male to female.

"They were aware of the gender correction but did nothing until the change of documents which took almost a year. I carried out my duties well throughout that time but when they received my new documents they immediately referred to the list of prohibited professions and fired me," she said.

Ms Vasilyeva had been with the company for 10 years.

Russian law prohibits women from working in 456 different professions, citing protecting their reproductive health. It is a hangover from Soviet days - but its continued existence reflects the patriarchal nature and demographic focus of Vladimir Putin's Russia.

This week, after a two-year legal battle, a court in St Petersburg ordered the Janoshka printworks to give Ms Vasilyeva her job back and to pay her 1.85 million roubles (£22,000) in lost income and 10,000 roubles (£120) in damages.