Ukraine Continues to Fulfil Its International Commitments on Gender Equality

Liudmyla Shemelynets, First Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine. Photo: UN Women/Serhii Khondusenko

Despite Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to fulfil its international commitments on gender equality and is preparing its Tenth Periodic Report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) for the period 2022–2026.

On 20 August, expert and public consultations were held on the draft Report. Representatives of central executive authorities, regional military administrations, civil society and international organizations discussed key achievements during the reporting period and provided their recommendations.

“CEDAW is one of the key international treaties on women’s rights. That is why UN Women in Ukraine is supporting this process by promoting broad and inclusive participation of all stakeholders in the preparation of the Report. Engaging diverse voices, including representatives of different groups of women and civil society organizations, helps to comprehensively assess progress, identify challenges and define further priorities for advancing gender equality,” emphasized Halyna Meshcheriakova, a.i. Head of Programmes at UN Women Ukraine.

Halyna Meshcheriakova, a.i. Head of Programmes at UN Women Ukraine. Photo: UN Women/Serhii Khondusenko 

“Over these years, Ukraine has made significant progress in the area of gender equality. We see that fewer professions are perceived as exclusively ‘women’s’ or ‘men’s’ jobs. This has become particularly evident since the beginning of the full-scale war. At the same time, we are now seeing an increased number of cases of violence and discrimination, including against women. Therefore, we need to focus on what we have yet to achieve and on the tasks that lie ahead,” noted Liudmyla Shemelynets, First Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine.

The importance of broad engagement in the process was also highlighted by a civil society representative, Liudmyla Porokhniak-Hanovska, Head of the National Council of Women of Ukraine.

UN Women continues to support Ukraine in strengthening gender-responsive governance and ensuring the rights of women and girls.

The event was organized at the initiative of the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, in partnership with the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy, within the framework of UN Women Ukraine’s Strategic Note (2025–2029), with financial support from the Governments of Austria, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Finland, France and Sweden, and as part of the “Supporting Ukraine’s Inclusive Recovery and EU Accession” project, funded by the Government of Canada.