On 8 March 2025, join us to celebrate International Women’s Day under the theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change.

The event was organized by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, the Higher School of Public Administration and the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the EU Standards with the support of international partners, including UN Women Ukraine and the Government of Sweden. The main topics included gender equality in government policies and programs as a prerequisite for EU accession and for ensuring Ukraine's gender-responsible recovery; gender-responsible and inclusive adaptation and reintegration of female and male veterans into civilian life, namely the demand of society and the state's offer; preservation of human capital, including barrier-free and gender-responsible public service.

Although security sector officers face trauma in the line of duty, these experiences play no significant role in their attitudes and behaviours related to gender equality. So, gender stereotypes derive not from the nature of work in the security sector but from general social attitudes, childhood experiences, and other factors. This is one of the key findings of a national study entitled Understanding of Masculinity and Gender Equality in the Security Sector of Ukraine, commissioned by UN Women Ukraine and the non-governmental organization Promundo-US at the initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ukraine.

Valentyna Dobrydina is a representative of the Government Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Chernivtsi Regional State Administration, in western Ukraine. She also heads the non-profit public organization, “Leader: the Chernivtsi Regional Organization of People with Disabilities.”

Natalia Tiuniahina is the Regional Coordinator of the charitable organization “Positive Women” and founder and Board member of the public organization “Positive Women Kherson” in southern Ukraine.

Natalia Kalyuzhna is a Police Captain and Head of the Counteracting Gender-based Violence Unit at the Main Directorate of the National Police in Sievierodonetsk, a city in the conflict-affected eastern part of Ukraine. She applies innovative approaches to address the needs of violence survivors and women at risk.