The Union of Women of Russia had looked at the manifestos of 30 parties due to contest the December 1993 parliamentary elections and was unhappy about the lack of attention to women's issues.

In the elections the party surprisingly received 8.1% of the proportional representation vote, the fourth-highest share,[3] and won 23 of the 450 seats in the State Duma.

[4] In the 1995 elections the party was expected to pass the 5% electoral threshold,[5] but received 4.6% of the vote, failing to win any of the proportional seats, and only winning three seats.

In 1996 the party split when its co-founder, Ekaterina Lakhova, left the party to form the All-Russian Socio-Political Movement of Women of Russia, whose name was often intentionally shortened to "Women of Russia" to attempt to lure away support.

[6] In April 1999 it was announced that the ZhR would not run in the December 1999 elections, instead becoming part of the Fatherland – All Russia bloc, which Lakhova had also joined.