Many achievements of the feminist movement, such as the right to higher education, to be elected to government office, to be a leader in state institutions or private enterprises, and to serve in the Armed Forces, are perceived as natural by modern Ukrainian women.
But behind these advancements, lie the efforts of hundreds of thousands of people who have changed their previous perceptions of traditional attitudes towards the role of women in the political, economic, and social life in Ukraine.
Despite the progress made, there are still many challenges in Ukraine that require a response. For example, women in Ukraine earn 20 per cent less than men for work of equal value; women perform three times more unpaid care and domestic work than men, resulting in less time for rest and professional development. Currently, women comprise of only 21 per cent in the Ukrainian parliament, indicating that the needs of a large portion of Ukraine’s women population are not being considered.
Interventions of the SEW Ukraine project: Gender Equality Strategy
To help address gender role challenges, the Supporting Economic Prosperity for Women and Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine (SEW Ukraine) project started almost four years ago. Today it’s more relevant than ever because it provides women the opportunity to develop their professional skills and increase their competitiveness in the Ukrainian labour market while contributing to the recovery of the workforce and economy, which has been affected by war. The project has also contributed to reducing social tensions, and helping women become better leaders in business by providing workshops where they learn and feel as they are an integral part of modern Ukraine.
The project supports women in overcoming barriers to employment by acquiring professional skills in tailoring; improving their skills as business owners and managers in the tailoring industry; establishing and providing grant support to co-operatives of tailoring enterprises owned and led by women, including preferential loans.
In addition, women’s leadership skills are enhanced through training co-operative members, which creates a positive image of women in the profession as positive role models while supporting the tailoring industry in developing gender-sensitive internal policies and practices.
Today, ideological gender barriers limit life choices and space for women as well as the economic barriers and survival problems due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The war has sociologically been a struggle for men in Ukraine who have gone to war while there has also been a significant outflow of women in the early months of the war, causing an increase in women’s work expectations. That is why the SEW Ukraine project, implemented by the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada together with the Ukrainian Foundation “Gorenie,” is one of the effective tools helping Ukraine to cope with these ongoing socio-economic challenges.