9 квітня у Києві відбулася тематична сесія Комітету Верховної Ради України з питань інтеграції України до Європейського Союзу у співпраці з ООН Жінки в Україні щодо питань гендерної рівності у процесі вступу до ЄС та ролі Верховної Ради в цих процесах. Захід підтримали уряди Данії та Швеції.

The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, together with the European Union (EU), started the Phase II of the regional programme “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence”. The programme aims to reduce gender discriminatory attitudes and practices between women and men in institutional and community spheres, including unpaid domestic and care work in six Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

The sixty-eighth session of the Commission under the priority theme: “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective” wrapped up in New York last week. The United Nations largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment brings together representatives of Member States, United Nations entities and civil society and non-governmental organizations from across the globe.

On March 6, the fifth anniversary awarding ceremony of the annual Women in Arts. The Resistance Award was held in Kyiv. With this award, UN Women Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute praise the achievements of women in the field of culture and art, and from 2023, also their contribution to the approach of victory. The governments of Sweden and Japan, as well as the Women's Fund for Peace and Humanitarian Aid of the United Nations, supported the event.

On March 6, the Ukrainian Institute and UN Women Ukraine will name the laureates of the Women in Arts. The Resistance Award for the fifth time. The award recognizes the achievements of women in the field of culture and art and their contribution to the approach of victory, and honours the memory of female artists who have lost their lives due to russian aggression.

New York, 22 February - Two years of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine has taken thousands of lives, caused untold destruction, displaced millions, traumatized a generation, torn families and communities, and devastated the economy. The total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine is estimated by the World Bank, European Commission, United Nations and the Government of Ukraine at USD 486 billion over the next decade. This war, like all wars, takes a bigger toll on women and girls, who disproportionally carry its burden.

Two years ago, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to mass displacement within and outside the country as millions of Ukrainians left in search of safety and support. Anastasiia Pyrohova is a psychologist and the coordinator of the Women’s New Horizons project, run by the local group Women’s Perspectives in the Western city of Sambir, where she has lived since fleeing her native Zaporizhzhia with her family. Here, Anastasiia supports women and girls by providing psychological counselling and creating resources to help internally displaced people access essential services.

This opinion was expressed by Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine. She believes that attention to gender equality issues in Ukraine helped the country to respond promptly to the problem of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and to counter it.

Natalia Khamko is the Deputy General Director for Legal and Human Resources at Chernihiv Regional Hospital. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Natalia joined her medical colleagues to help civilian and military patients at the hospital. We spoke with Natalia at the training "The Role of Women in Mediation" held as part of the institution-building project "Building a Democratic, Peaceful and Gender Equal Society in Ukraine - Phase II", which is being implemented with the financial support of the Government of Norway.

Maria Parfylo, Senior Specialist of the Department of Labor, Family and Gender Policy of the Lebedynska City Territorial Community in Sumy Oblast, told us about the challenges the community faces in the context of the full-scale Russian invasion. We met with Maria at the training "The Role of Women in Mediation," which was held as part of the Women, Peace, Security institution-building project, funded by the Government of Norway.

Olena Gorin is a fire service inspector by education and a pastry chef by vocation. Olena's husband is a military officer and defender of Mariupol, and has been in Russian captivity for more than 1.5 years. Olena has always been looking for a job she likes, not so much for money as for the desire to do something interesting. She used to do various work, but when she tried to bake gingerbread, she became passionate about it.

Oleksandra Samsonova, originally from Russia, had previously visited Ukraine frequently. During school years, she went abroad to study in the United Kingdom and the USA. Professionally trained as a lawyer, she graduated from the International Trade College but did not work in the field. In 2020, she delved into the topic of the war that her country was waging on East of Ukraine. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Oleksandra informed her family and friends that she would soon return. Carrying just one suitcase, she headed to Ukraine.

FACE OF FAITH by Marie Claire Business features 50 stories of women who started, rebuilt, and saved businesses in the first year of the full-scale war.

Alona Kharchenko is a former service industry professional who transitioned to social work following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Her journey reflects the resilience and dedication of women in times of crisis. Managing requests for the Veteranka Movement, a local NGO supported by UN Women promoting equal rights for women military personnel, Alona’s story unveils a transformative narrative shaped by personal experiences and a deep commitment to serving her community.

Yuliia Mykytenko’s journey from a multilingual translator to a UAV commander is a story of resilience and dedication. Born into an ordinary Ukrainian family, her life took an unforeseen turn in 2014 when Russia’s attack compelled her to pivot from being an interpreter to a soldier. What started as a matter of survival evolved into a transformative career in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, changing her fate along with those of other women military personnel.

Lviv, 4–5 December 2023 – UN Women Ukraine held the Women's Economic Empowerment Congress (hereinafter referred to as the Congress) for European integration and gender-responsive recovery. The Congress brought together more than 70 representatives of business associations, companies, state institutions, local self-government bodies, international development partners, and civil society organizations.

At the end of November, international trainer and expert on the localization of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda, Maia Avaliani, at the invitation of UN Women in Ukraine, conducted two trainings on "The Role of Women's Mediation in the Implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda and Recovery Processes in Ukraine" for representatives of regional and local authorities from Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kirovohrad regions.

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Ukraine has issued a tender for the refurbishment of its new office premises

During October-November 2023, the non-governmental organization "Internews-Ukraine," in collaboration with the Center for Democracy Development with the support of UN Women Ukraine, organized a series of offline trainings to support the agendas "Women, Peace, Security" (WPS) and "Youth, Peace, Security" (YPS). The trainings took place in Kropyvnytskyi, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

On October 25, as part of the "Inside Out" project, 50 portraits of outstanding women of today who promote the Women, Peace and Security agenda through their work were installed in front of the main entrance to the UN Headquarters in New York. One of the 50 peacemakers featured in the Inside Out photo exhibition under the slogan "Peace begins with her" is Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandra Matviychuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.