The Ukrainian military is one of the most feminized armed forces in Europe, according to the country’s deputy minister of defense. The common experience of war brings an understanding of the scale and nature of the contributions that Ukraine’s women are making to protect and defend their country. This shared understanding, reinforced by everyday encounters with women veterans who are friends, neighbours and family, might mean these women’s experiences will be valued in the years to come. Ukraine’s commitment towards addressing women’s needs and rights is reflected in the government’s strategic documents for the next decade.

When she told Amir she wanted to leave and find a different job, he threatened her. “There are so many vulnerable people who survive in desperate situations and do not get any help,” one NGO worker who does not wish to be identified told The Times of Israel. The alleged rape happened at night, after weeks of lewd remarks, hints and overt suggestions of sex. A few months after arriving, she said, she was raped by the man who wrote the letter of invitation that had gotten her out of the war zone.

  • Ukraine’s women soldiers are also often in the news, talking about their military experiences.
  • Mamo pracuj’s ambition is to provide Ukrainian women with multi-faceted support, from legal advice to psychosocial assistance.
  • While exploitative individuals are not new, “the real problem is the policy,” says lawyer Anat Ben-Dor, clinical instructor at the Refugee Rights Clinic at Tel Aviv University.
  • Like her colleagues “Phoenix” and “Oksana” , Sultan distinguished herself as a volunteer soldier in territorial defence units.

Ukrainian women’s contribution to the fight against Russia “will change the role of women in society,” said Alla Kuznietsova, who spied on the Russians during the occupation of Izium. “I heard, ‘You’re a woman, you need to make babies, go home,’” said Anastasia Blyshchyk, 26, who initially was rebuffed when she volunteered. Rather than sitting on a long waiting list to serve, like many other Ukrainians, she reached out to commanders and found one who said he could use her. The involvement of women is a reminder that half the human resources in any society are female, even if countries don’t always appreciate that.

‘Life Had Not Prepared Me For It’

Alongside the parties, the hotel offered jobs to the Ukrainians staying there. Ukrainians who have fled the war playing chess in a windowless room in a hotel in Jerusalem, June 2022. Katya Chehova came to Israel in the spring of 2022 in a desperate bid to save her left leg after shrapnel from a Russian missile strike left her unable to walk. In Israel, doctors managed to not only save her leg but also get her walking again, with Chehova’s evacuation and arrival broadcast on Israel’s Channel 12 news. It’s like having a double-faced policy — yes, you can work, but at the same time it’s doing its best to prevent them from doing so. I feel the blame should be first pointed at the Interior Ministry for leaving these people vulnerable,” says Ben-Dor.

It is a tax-exempt 501c3 charitable organization and, as such, we have been a premier response organization assisting Ukrainians in need globally. Monetary grants and material supplies are clearly targeted for medical assistance, sustenance, and other humanitarian support. She later enrolled in a military program in college, and when war broke out in February, the army called her up to see if she’d be willing to fight. As a single mom, Emerald said she made the difficult decision at https://www.thegirlcanwrite.net/ to leave her 11-year-old daughter behind.

AMC announces new price system based on seat location: What to know

With the real risk of sexual exploitation or human trafficking, women are trusted more readily when it comes to registering those internally displaced by the war, a number currently put at more than 4.5 million. They organize transport to take the displaced to safety in neighbouring countries, and female psychologists are providing mental health counselling after the First Lady, Olena Zelenska, launched a programme of psycho-social support with UN agencies.

Health

Women tend to lead small business in retail, wholesale trade and catering.

The Ukrainian military has tried to adopt more equal policies, but those have faced pushback from Ukrainian society, which largely sees women’s place in society as guardians of the home and family. This past year, I’ve been focused on how the human cost of the war has been felt unevenly, as Iwrote in the Washington Postlast March. Part of why the human cost is uneven is due to Ukrainian military policy decisions.