Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze met with advisers on gender issues working in central executive and local government bodies. The participants of the meeting, in particular, discussed the draft Government resolution "On Approval of the Model Regulations on the Adviser on Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men, Prevention and Combating Gender-Based Violence". The provisions were developed in accordance with a number of laws and regulations, in particular, the Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men" and the Action Plan for Implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy for the period up to 2020.

"We are all interested in increasing the professionalism and capabilities of people who work as advisers on gender equality issues. It is obvious that these days we lack specialists with the necessary expertise in the whole country", said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, gender advisers can become much more effective after establishing staff positions of advisers for gender issues within the government authorities and local government bodies. This will allow us to integrate a gender approach into all the reforms and spheres of life of our state. "If there are no such people inside the system, then the process will advance only until the political will and desire from above structures remain", said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. According to her, the inclusion of gender advisers to the staff will also contribute to increasing their professional qualifications and deeper immersion in all processes.

"We should think how to do that advisers could become people for whom the issues of human rights and gender equality are not just words contained in the certificate, but a true value. We have to secure this position against a formalist approach and lack of professionalism", said the Vice Prime Minister.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze reminded that the current Government, for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine, has prioritized gender issues in its Action Program. During its activities, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the State Program for Equal Rights and Opportunities till 2021, the National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace, Security" and the National Action Plan till 2021 to implement the recommendations set out in the final remarks of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).