Statement of Deputy Minister of Social Policy on European Integration Olha Revuk during roundtable meeting of 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

As prepared for the Ministerial round table

Dear Chairman!

Dear attendees!

Thank you for the opportunity to speak during one of the most important events of the year - the 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Glad to take part in an important discussion on how to ensure the full and effective participation of women in decision-making. Equal participation of both women and men in all spheres of society at all levels is a condition that ensures the sustainable development of any country.

In Ukraine, the issue of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men is at the center of the Government's activities. The process of gender mainstreaming in all areas is actively underway, which allows for the formation of policies aimed at different groups of women and men.

The Ministry of Social Policy has developed a number of legal documents that create a system for reducing gender inequality in all spheres of society and overcoming discrimination. These are, in particular, the Instruction on the integration of gender approaches in the development of regulations, guidelines for assessing the gender impact of sectoral reforms.

To ensure quality human resources, a regulation on a responsible structural unit and an advisor on equal rights and opportunities for women and men has been approved. They operate at both central and local levels.

The new Electoral Code, adopted last year through the introduction of gender quotas, has created the conditions for increasing women's participation in political decision-making.

The introduction of quotas has increased the representation of women in Parliament to 21 percent, in regional councils - to almost 30 percent.

The share of women in senior management positions in the civil service is 27 percent.

According to a national survey on equal rights and opportunities for women and men conducted in 2019, two-thirds of Ukrainians said that men dominated the country's political life. At the same time, 36 percent believe that this should be the case. This view is based on gender stereotypes.

To overcome gender stereotypes, we focus on eliminating the stereotypical image of women in the media, overcoming sexism.

The Parliament of Ukraine has registered bills that provide protection of victims of sexism, the prohibition of sexism, the inclusion in the general requirements for advertising the prohibition of sexism.

It is important to create conditions for increasing women's participation in politics. The Parliament is considering a bill introducing a new social leave at the birth of a child lasting 14 days for the child's father.

2020 has been a year for the world to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis has exacerbated existing social and systemic barriers, increased domestic violence, increased the burden on women due to the need to combine professional responsibilities and domestic work and care for family members.

Women have become active participants in the fight against the pandemic.

Ukraine supported the UN Women's initiative to declare the theme of International Women's Day 2021 - "Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in the World COVID-19". The best doctors, social workers, caregivers, volunteers, leaders of public associations were awarded.

But for Ukrainians, the continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict is no less acute than the pandemic. According to a survey conducted in April 2020, 71% of men and 74% of women said that this is the first major problem.

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace, Security", Ukraine adopted the second National Action Plan to implement this Resolution, which emphasizes the important role of women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

The document was developed according to the results-oriented management methodology. We are grateful to UN Women in Ukraine for supporting this work.

The second plan provides for the broad participation of various groups of women in its implementation, including those that were not included in the previous plan - veterans, family members of the dead or missing, women in voluntary organizations.

I would like to thank all the participants for your hard work in the field of gender transformation, for your invaluable experience.

Thank you for attention!