Gender mainstreaming must be embedded across regional policy: Taras Kachka at coordination meeting with deputy heads of regional military administrations

On 8 July, Kyiv hosted a coordination meeting with deputy heads of regional military administrations responsible for European integration and officials responsible for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men. The first meeting of its kind was intended to launch a systematic dialogue with the regions on integrating gender equality principles into the European integration process and Ukraine’s preparations for European Union membership.

Participants discussed practical mechanisms for incorporating gender equality principles into regional policy, strengthening coordination between central and local authorities, and the role of the regions in fulfilling Ukraine’s obligations on its path towards EU membership.

Opening the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka stressed that gender equality is an integral part of European values and of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.

“At the constitutional level, Ukraine has enshrined the principle of non-discrimination. Likewise, Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union identifies non-discrimination, equality and respect for human rights among the EU’s fundamental values. That is why, in the process of joining the European Union, we speak of a shared foundation of values that is already part of Ukraine’s statehood,” Taras Kachka said.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that, in the European Union, gender equality is a cross-cutting principle in the development and implementation of public policy. Regional authorities have a particularly important role to play, as a significant share of EU policies is implemented at regional level. According to him, the link between gender policy and regional policy is a natural outcome of the European approach to cohesion, regional development and equal opportunities.

“In the European Union, regional policy is a policy for regional development. At the same time, it is also the vehicle through which many social changes are implemented. It is therefore only natural that gender mainstreaming should be a cross-cutting element of regional policy. Just like anti-corruption, energy or other horizontal priorities, equality issues are integrated into practical work at local level,” he said.

Particular attention was given to the role of regional military administrations in preparing regional European integration plans, implementing reforms and strengthening coordination between the responsible structural units. Taras Kachka also noted that, following the opening of Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, European integration is increasingly moving into the practical implementation of reforms at local level and the fulfilment of concrete commitments.

During the first part of the meeting, participants discussed Ukraine’s fulfilment of its commitments under the EU accession negotiations, including implementation of the National Programme for the Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to EU law (the EU acquis), the integration of gender equality principles into the negotiation process, and the role of the regions in the practical implementation of EU legislation.

The second session focused on European experience in integrating gender equality into national and local policies. Participants examined the practices of EU Member States, the experience of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), as well as practical tools for gender mainstreaming, the use of gender statistics and policy planning in line with EU standards.

The final session took the form of thematic working groups. Representatives of the regional military administrations, together with experts, identified key challenges, discussed practical mechanisms for integrating gender equality into European integration and recovery processes, and developed proposals that could form the basis of regional European integration plans and strengthen inter-agency coordination at local level.

Among those attending were Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy Kateryna Levchenko; Deputy Representative of UN Women Ukraine Tetiana Kudina; Director of the Higher School of Public Administration Yuliia Lykhach; advisers to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Anna-Mariia Chaikovska and Yuliia Hrytsku; Kristaps Petermanis, IPA Project Coordinator at the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE); Flo Clucas, Chair of the Standing Committee on Gender Equality at CEMR; Marko Funkl, Mayor of Hrastnik, Slovenia; Director of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund Olesia Bondar; as well as representatives of regional military administrations, central executive authorities and international partners. The meeting was moderated by Viktoriia Lobun, Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.

Background

The meeting was organised on the initiative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, with the support of UN Women Ukraine.