Achieving gender pay equality and empowering women are essential for Ukraine's sustainable development. The Women's Economic Empowerment Congress (WEE Congress) and the results of the first wave of the national information campaign "Of Course, You Can!"
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Opening of WEE Congress – press briefing of the national information campaign “Of course you can!”. Photo: UN Women/Stas Kartashov
3 December 2024 – UN Women in Ukraine, with the support of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, held the Women's Economic Empowerment Congress (WEE Congress) to promote responsible European integration and Ukraine's recovery.
This year's WEE Congress brought together more than 120 representatives of government, business associations, private companies, state and local institutions, international development partners and civil society organizations to explore ways of implementing gender-responsive approach to policies and practices, as well as leading initiatives to empower women, including the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The WEE Congress was made possible by the financial support of the governments of Denmark, France and Sweden.
Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy. Photo: UN Women/Stas Kartashov
“Women's contribution to economic development has been growing dynamically in recent years. They are increasingly opening businesses and taking leadership in communities. We, as a state, support that dynamic. We are working on systemic legislative changes, in particular, in the draft of the new Labor Code we enshrine the principle of equal pay, introduce eight types of employment contracts that allow home and remote work. We are simplifying the conditions for starting a business through grant programs that provide funding from UAH 150 thousand to UAH 8 million. We support Ukrainian women in their efforts to acquire a new profession or improve their skills through the services provided by the State Employment Service. Our ambitious goal is to reduce the gender pay gap to 13.6% by 2030,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy.
The opening of the WEE Congress was preceded by a press briefing dedicated to the gender pay gap in Ukraine. The briefing also discussed the results of the first wave of the national information campaign "Of course, You can!"
Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine. Photo: UN Women/Stas Kartashov
"The gender pay gap, estimated at 18.6%, remains a critical issue in Ukraine, reflecting broader challenges of inequality in the workplace where women earn less than men for equal work. However, during Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian women have taken on more responsibilities, assumed new roles, and actively stepped into professional domains that were previously predominantly led by men. Addressing this disparity is not just about fairness; it is about unlocking the full potential of our workforce for the benefit of Ukraine’s economic development and fostering a more inclusive and gender-responsive recovery," stressed Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine.
Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine. Photo: UN Women/Stas Kartashov
"Women still face gender barriers in the professional environment. They are underrepresented in blue-collar professions, in high-paying sectors, and in leadership positions. Our task is to change this. That's why we are implementing policies to support women's professional development and women's entrepreneurship through grants for start-ups and grants for business scaling. We are also expanding opportunities for women to learn and master new skills. In November, we introduced vouchers for women – from now on, every woman will be able to receive UAH 30 thousand to master one of 30 professions where women have traditionally been underrepresented: tram or trolleybus driver, excavator operator, crane operator, milling machine operator, and others," highlighted Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
"Of Course, You Can!" is a campaign initiated by UN Women together with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine with the support of the Office of the First Lady and the Government of Sweden to overcome gender stereotypes about women's professional development, draw attention to the gender pay gap between men and women, and join efforts to support women's professional fulfillment and equal representation in any field.
The first phase of the campaign reached more than 8 million Ukrainian women and men and was supported by more than 10 women's human rights NGOs and 8 large Ukrainian businesses. This is a large-scale initiative that includes social advertising, publications in social networks and national media, a specialized web resource, and the involvement of stakeholders from various industries. Together, we work to create opportunities that inspire and help women develop in any area of professional or social life.
Aida Lindemeyer, Director of the ILO Office in Ukraine. Photo: UN Women/Stas Kartashov
Aida Lindemeyer, Director of the ILO Office in Ukraine: "It’s now time to consolidate the whole of society effort to make the reality of what is obvious: women that contribute to the economic, social and even defence aspects of Ukraine’s future on equal footing with men, should enjoy equally the results of their work. The path to women’s economic empowerment lays through decent work, which requires enabling laws and practices, enhanced institutions, and breaking societal stereotypes. The ILO is committed to support women on their path of becoming entrepreneurs, growing their businesses, advancing in their professional and career development, and above all receive equal pay for work of equal value."
Masha Efrosinina, special guest of the event. Photo: UN Women/Stas Kartashov
Masha Efrosinina, special guest of the event: "As a co-founder of the Masha Foundation, an NGO that works to combat gender-based violence, I know very well that economic violence is the basis for physical violence. This hidden form of inequality often goes unnoticed, but it has dire consequences for women. Income control or restrictions on employment create an abusive relationship between a woman and her partner, which can include physical violence, and which often women are unable to break on their own due to their dependent form. It is important to emphasize that this phenomenon harms not only women, but also society as a whole. The 'Of Course You Can' campaign emphasizes that women's financial independence is the foundation for protecting their rights and dignity."
During the press briefing, the key areas for the government and partners to continue their work on closing the gender pay gap in Ukraine were identified.
- Amendments to labor legislation: legalization of home and remote work, legislative consolidation of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, and regulation of legal protection of working women.
- Support to existing programs and creation of new ones for women's full retraining or advanced training, in particular for work in high-paying sectors of the economy, with a focus on attracting women who lost their jobs due to the war; grants for women veterans and wives of veterans, as well as for wives of fallen defenders.
- Building cooperation with businesses, NGOs, and the media; expanding the list of WEPs signatories, and engaging them in the "Of Course, You Can!" information campaign. Development of the online information platform youcan.in.ua created as part of the "Of Course, You Can!" campaign and continuation of the information campaign at the national and regional levels.
Read more about the "Of Course, You Can!" campaign: