A court in Russia has ruled a trans woman was fired illegally in a decision hailed as history-making

Anna Grigoryeva was fired from her job 10 years after working at a printing house before her transition.

She was fired in 2017 after she said she identifies as a woman.

The employer claimed she was dismissed because she was in a job that by law can be performed by men only.

A Russian government resolution, adopted in 2000, bans women from working in more than 35 industries. More than 450 specific jobs are deemed ‘dangerous’ or ‘arduous’ for women.

But now, a Frunze District Court has ordered the printing house to give Grigoryeva her job back.

The court has also ordered her to pay 10,000 rubles ($155) for moral damages as well as 1.8 million rubles ($27,800) in overdue wages.

Grigoryeva’s lawyer, Maksim Olenichev, told RFE/RL the ruling sets a ‘very important precedent’.

‘For the first time in Russia, a transgender person has managed to defend her labor rights in court,’ he said.

Ksenia Mikhailova, a lawyer with the LGBTI rights group Vykhod, said the list of jobs off-limits to women is meant to preserve their ability to reproduce.

They said that this was not only a historical decision for trans people, but also for women who don’t want children.

Mikhailova also said the court’s decision will help other transgender people to gain recognition in society, defend their rights, and overcome discrimination in the workplace.