At the beginning of December Feminist Workshop participated in the international conference «Role of women in Ukraine’s recovery: the EU integration focus».
The participation of women in different aspects of Ukraine’s recovery and European integration was the cornerstone of the panel discussions and workshops. The participants also focused on gender-based violence during and after the war.
Viola von Kramon, vice chair of the delegation to the EU-Ukraine parliamentary association committee, opened the conference with a speech, stating that «in Ukraine, the majority of decisions are still made by men. President and his inner circle are all men, there is not even one woman among them».
Women are in the vanguard of this war. There are women volunteers, soldiers, and dozens of women supporting the Ukrainian battlefront. Valor knows no gender. Pax Russica establishes men’s dominance, whereas women are obliged to perform their intended roles. That’s what makes authoritarian Russia different from Europe, noted Oleksandra Matviichuk, laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize.
The conference ended with a talk about comprehensive gender equality strategies as an integral part of Ukraine’s recovery. Tamara Kharchilava, coordinator of the teenagers’ needs of Feminist Workshop also participated in the event.
Tamara notes that in addition to fascinating discussions, such events encourage building networks in the civic sector and joining the efforts with allies from the EU. During the conference, she productively discussed the funding difficulties of NPOs with a member of the European Parliament, former Swedish minister Alice Bah Kuhnke. Tamara also had an opportunity to discuss sexual education in schools with members of the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna.
Vice-director of the Center “Women’s Perspectives” Marta Chumalo pointed out, that according to the research conducted by one of Kyiv’s universities, being a woman is the biggest risk factor during the war.
We are grateful to the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association “Jurfem”, offices of the members of the European Parliament Viola von Cramon and Alice Bah Kuhnke, and Ukrainian Women’s Fund for the organization of the conference.
