Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovych found herself at the center of a scandal after her statements that her department is not a “ministry of payments” and that all Ukrainians cannot count on state support. These words caused a wave of criticism, in particular from experts in the field of social policy.
Andrii Pavlovsky, a well-known expert in the social sphere, blamed Zholnovich in manipulations and substitution of concepts. He emphasized that no one is demanding that 100% of the population receive social benefits, but he emphasized that now, when the country is going through a brutal war, millions of Ukrainians need real help.
According to Pavlovsky, millions of people lost their homes, jobs, health, and many lost loved ones because of the war. He noted that displaced persons, wounded soldiers and other victims need support every day, but instead receive only “rhetoric about human capacity and resilience.”
The expert severely criticized Zholnovich’s position, saying that if the ministry is unable to fulfill its direct function of helping the needy, then its existence is doubtful. He also called on Zholnovich to personally explain his position to those who lost everything due to the war and are faced with the impossibility of surviving in such conditions.
According to Pavlovsky, Zholnovich should realize that being on the side of the people means providing real help in times of need, when people need it the most. He emphasized that such statements can aggravate the situation even more, because people who have lost everything do not need philosophical thoughts, but concrete help.
This situation drew public attention to the activities of the Ministry of Social Policy and raised serious questions about its effectiveness in the crisis.
