“Professionalism has no gender.” – Liubov Pravdina, author of the Nezhinocha Robota (Not a Woman's Job) campaign

Liubov Pravdina, author of the Nezhinocha Robota (Not a Woman's Job) campaign, president of the NGO New Ukrainian Narratives. Photo: courtesy of Liubov Pravdina

The Equality.Leadership.Future initiative brings together young activists who are passionate about human rights, equality, and social change. All of them are working on their own advocacy campaigns. One such campaign is Nezhinocha Robota (Not a Woman's Job), which highlights gender stereotypes in the workplace. We spoke with Liubov Pravdina, the project manager and president of the NGO New Ukrainian Narratives, to discuss the inspiration behind this campaign and how it is being implemented.

What motivated you to participate in the Equality.Leadership.Future initiative?

As a public organization, we have prior experience in campaigns supporting gender equality, and we are eager to continue this important work through new formats and initiatives. Additionally, our communications officer attended a training session organized by the NGO Girls focused on women's rights advocacy. She found the projects presented there to be incredibly inspiring, which prompted her to initiate our participation in the competitive selection process.

What is the rationale behind this specific campaign idea? Why choose "Nezhinocha Robota" (Not a Woman's Job)?

Our team held a brainstorming session to determine the topic we wanted to explore. The most popular idea was the career development of women, particularly in traditionally male-dominated professions. We decided to focus on the barriers that women encounter, ranging from gender stereotypes to unequal pay for equal work.

While we have achieved some victories on the path to gender equality, the statistics reveal a different story. There continues to be a significant gender pay gap, with men generally earning more than women. Additionally, instances of harassment and sexual harassment still occur in professional settings.

The title serves as a response to the stereotypical expression–This is not a woman's job–which many women can relate to. We want to emphasize that professionalism has no gender. In our vision, every job and every position can be filled by both men and women. The most important factor is the desire to succeed.

Is there a personal story or experience behind this campaign that influenced your perspective on the issue? Perhaps this inspired its creation?

I have over 20 years of work experience, and I find that I encounter ageism and sexism less frequently as time goes on. I believe this improvement is due to the active response of society and state policies regarding these issues. The full-scale Russian invasion has also impacted the situation, as we now see female soldiers, paramedics, and women entering traditionally male-dominated professions due to a shortage of men. 

Throughout my career, particularly in the early years, I experienced both ageism and sexism. For instance, young male managers often did not question a young male colleague in the same way they questioned a young woman who held a similar position. However, I remain hopeful that these instances will continue to decline with each passing year.

What does the campaign include?

We created an online questionnaire for women who are working or studying in professions that are traditionally considered male-dominated. This survey was distributed through social networks, partner organizations, business companies, and educational institutions. You can find the results of the survey at the provided link. Additionally, we anticipate publishing five personal stories from women who will share their experiences and challenges on our social media pages soon.

What are the ways to join or support the campaign?

Our campaign is focused on the public sphere, and we are excited to share it through the social media channels of our organization. We invite partner organizations to join us in supporting the campaign and sharing the survey results. Our goal is to raise awareness that the idea of “unfeminine professions” is simply a gender stereotype. For more information about the campaign, please visit our Instagram page.

This publication has been developed within the Equality.Leadership.Future initiative implemented by NGO Girls within the framework of the UN Women’s project "Women's Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies" funded by the Government of Denmark, as well as the project “Transformational Approaches to Achieving Gender Equality in Ukraine" implemented with financial support from the Government of Sweden and in cooperation with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and in partnerships with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. Financial support for the initiative is also provided by the UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).