KYIV, 6 March 2020 – On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Equal Opportunities Caucus in the Verkhovna Rada, and the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP) presented a guide “Gender equality: myths, facts and the state policy” for members of the Parliament. The purpose of the guide is to present key facts and modern trends in the implementation of gender equality state policy in Ukraine. The guide was developed in cooperation with the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy under the framework of the EU-funded Parliamentary Reform Project, which is implemented by UNDP.

“Equality between women and men is the basic human right and it is one of the core values for the EU countries, which is referred to also in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. We are proud to support the Verkhovna Rada, including in mainstreaming gender issues throughout its legislative work," – EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas said.

Among the issues of discrimination facing women in Ukraine today are the wage gap (women in Ukraine are paid on average 25 percent less than men), the unfair distribution of domestic chores (women on average spend 29 hours per week on housework, compared to 15 hours for men), the gender-based violence and the low women’s participation in politics.

As the 2019 Human Development Report highlights, in the past two decades gender gaps have been closing for basic inequalities in areas like education and health, where women’s social or economic power is lower.  However, in areas where women have a greater professional, political and social responsibility, gender inequalities persist, and women face a “glass ceiling” when they have generally fewer opportunities for career advancement than men.

The percentage of women in the newly elected parliament in Ukraine is at a historical high of nearly 21 percent (compared to 12 percent in the previous convocation), but still below the average of the EU countries parliaments. Women are also underrepresented in government leadership positions at the subnational level – as mayors or heads of amalgamated territorial communities.

“Women are 54 percent of Ukraine’s population, but only one in five MPs are women. Having more women in decision making will help Ukraine achieve its commitments to gender equality and human rights, and will produce better policymaking at all levels,” said Dafina Gercheva, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Ukraine.

“We must act now,” Gercheva added. “Progress on gender equality at the speed and scale we need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals requires addressing discriminatory beliefs and practices and ensuring better policies and programmes are in place. As the interface between the people and the government, parliament plays a huge role in advancing gender equality, addressing widespread discriminatory biases, in social norms and in power structures.”

Olena Kondratiuk, vice-speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, co-chair of the Equal Opportunities Caucus stressed that: "International Women's Day is not just needed as a holiday to celebrate, but as a day to better acknowledge women's rights and opportunities. This day reminds us about the value of the freedom, choice and respect, about justice and access to opportunities, about solidarity and collaboration. We’re striving for our parliament to really share the principles of equality and non-discrimination in its activities".

Background information:

EU-UNDP Parliamentary Reform Project is being implemented by UNDP and is funded by the European Union. The project aims to strengthen the functioning of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, making it more effective, accountable and transparent and having a positive influence institution on implementing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

For additional information, please contact Mykola Yabchenko at mykola.yabchenko@undp.org or  +38 067 290 55 01