On 27 March, as part of the opening of the Women for a Stronger Ukraine event, organised with the support of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice, took part in the first session on the role of women in ensuring the country’s democratic development and human rights protection.

The event focused on the announcement by the European Union and its member states, Sweden and Germany, of EUR 44 million to support civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ukraine, including EUR 6 million for the development of gender leadership under the Team Europe approach, and further priority steps to promote gender equality in Ukraine.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the issue of equality between women and men and the protection of their rights is an integral part of democratic development, post-war recovery and the country’s European integration movement.

“Gender equality is not only a matter of justice, but also a strategic prerequisite for economic and social development, which is vital both during the war and in post-war recovery. This is not a separate area, but a cross-cutting dimension of transformations that are critical, in particular, for Ukraine’s integration into the EU. Today, the implementation of European standards in the field of gender equality is part of the implementation of the rule of law roadmap, which is a necessary element for the opening of formal accession negotiations with the EU under Cluster 1 – Fundamentals,” said Olha Stefanishyna.

She emphasised that Ukraine had made significant progress in gender equality, in particular in engaging women in the security and defence sector, developing women’s entrepreneurship and strengthening legal mechanisms to protect victims of violence. For example, since 2021, the number of women in business has increased by 43%, and they also launched more than 60% of new sole proprietorships last year. Today, more than 70,000 women serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Almost 20,000 are in combat positions.

At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister drew attention to the tragic consequences of the ongoing war, which also affected women: “The policy of gender equality has acquired new shades during the war. Along with positive initiatives to support women, we also have terrible realities – sexual violence in wartime, numerous cases of abuse of women and men who were in russian captivity and occupation,” she stressed.

Olha Stefanishyna stressed the importance of documenting crimes committed during the russian aggression and noted the role of the international community in supporting Ukraine: “We did not waste time; we fought for our existence as a state while simultaneously documenting and continuing to document russian crimes committed in Ukraine. And today, I am proud that the European Union is taking up the state’s efforts to ensure justice.”

Other speakers also delivered speeches: EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová and Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk.

Ambassador Katarína Mathernová highlighted that women had been pivotal in Ukraine’s resilience, spearheading community efforts to rebuild and address the devastating impact of the war. She emphasised the importance of inclusivity, noting that no one should be left behind. She explained that the new EUR 6 million funding would empower women from diverse backgrounds, amplify their voices, challenge taboos, and tackle the unique issues women face during the conflict. The funding aims to support various projects that will unite women from different regions, sectors, and walks of life, ensuring their significant role in rebuilding and shaping Ukraine’s future.

The event, which took place in Kyiv, brought together representatives of the Government, international organisations, civil society and human rights activists. The panel discussions focused on support for IDP women, victims of violence, military families, and combating domestic violence in times of war. The participants were presented with an EU assistance package aimed at supporting civil society organisations in Ukraine. Thus, a grant competition has been announced to start in May 2025, with EUR 14 million in support of CSOs, of which EUR 5 million will be allocated for gender leadership development.