There are 68,000 women serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, among whom more than 48,000 are servicemen. Approximately 5,000 military women are directly in the combat zone. About this stated State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Lyudmila Daragan during the international seminar on gender equality. This event took place within the framework of the annual Richelieu forum of public service held in Kyiv.
Lyudmila Daragan noted that women play an equally important role as men in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, and the process of their integration into the army has accelerated against the background of the large-scale Russian invasion.
“Today, women participate in all spheres of activity – they hold the rear, work in difficult positions and fight on the front lines. They show that the evaluation of a person should be based on his abilities, efficiency and intelligence, not on gender.” – she emphasized.
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense also focused on the changes in the department’s gender policy that have been implemented in recent years.
She shared her own service experience, noting that since 2018, women have been allowed to hold combat positions, but for a long time this opportunity remained unrealized due to existing restrictions.
“The law turned out to be insufficient, as there was an order marked “for official use” that regulated positions for women and men separately. Only in 2022 was it possible to change this order and overcome these barriers.” said Daragan.
In addition, significant improvements have been made in the logistical support of women soldiers. For example, in 2023 there was a summer uniform for women, whereas previously only the dress uniform was available.
The participants of the seminar discussed the issue of ensuring equality and inclusion in the state policy of Ukraine, in particular in the public service and the Armed Forces. Special attention was paid to the impact of the war on overcoming gender inequality.
The importance of implementing people-centered approaches was also emphasized. The participants discussed the new challenges that Ukraine is facing due to the war, including:
- outflow of human capital,
- demographic crisis,
- migration processes,
- mobilization,
- reintegration of veterans into civilian life.
The participants noted Ukraine’s significant progress in the field of gender equality and adaptation of national legislation to European standards. The seminar became an important platform for sharing experience and discussing future steps in the implementation of the state’s gender policy.
“Ukraine has demonstrated systemic success in implementing inclusive approaches. Progress in overcoming gender inequality, the active participation of women in various spheres of public life, as well as the integration of inclusive principles, in particular in the Ministry of Defense, are important steps on the way to European integration.” — summed up Lyudmila Daragan.
