Feminism in Ukraine

Women in Ukraine have equal constitutional rights as men in the economic, political, cultural, and social fields, as well as in the family.

Most of the around 45 percent of Ukraine's population (45 million) who suffer violence – physical, sexual, or mental – are women.

History of feminism in Ukraine

The history of Ukraine during the past two centuries is closely connected to that of the Russian Empire and later on the Soviet Union. Ukraine became independence in 1991 and is now a state with more than 40 million inhabitants, most of whom are Christian Orthodox, and 70% of the population is urban.

One of the biggest feminist organization in Europe was founded during the 1920s in modern western Ukraine or Galicia. The organization was called the Ukrainian Women's Union and was led by Milena Rudnytska. During the Soviet-era, feminism was classified as a bourgeois ideology, hence counterrevolutionary and anti-Soviet. Civil society and feminism were virtually nonexistent in the Soviet times. After Ukraine gained independence in 1991, a feminist movement began taking root.

, there are several women's rights groups active in Ukraine, including Feminist Ofenzyva and Ukrainian Woman's Union. FEMEN, the most active women's rights group in Kyiv, was officially closed in 2013. The organization left Ukraine because the leadership feared "for their lives and freedom".У колишньому офісі Femen відкрили книжкову крамницю ''In the former office Femen opened a bookstore''
Ukrayinska Pravda (23 October 2013)

During the War in Donbas that started in 2014, a "huge volunteer movement of women organizing humanitarian action and community dialogue" developed, according to Oksana Potapova, a feminist and peacebuilding researcher and activist who created ''Theatre for Dialogue'', a non-governmental organization in support of the women's volunteer movement.

Violence against women

Around 45 percent of Ukraine's population (45 million) suffer violence – physical, sexual, or mental – and most of them are women. Street women are the most vulnerable category; around 40 percent of them suffer from sexual violence, with 25 percent being under 18.In 2001, Ukraine enacted the ''Domestic Violence (Prevention) Act 2001''. Article 173-2 of the Code of Administrative Offences of Ukraine also deals with "violence over family". Nuzhat Ehsan, the UN Population Fund representative in Ukraine, stated in February 2013 “Ukraine really has an unacceptable level of violence, mainly by men and mainly due to high level of alcohol consumption”. He also blamed loopholes in the legislation for contributing to the problem of domestic violence, “You can violate women and still if you are a high-level official or from a high-level official family, you can get away with it”.

Women in the labor force

Women make up 54% of the population of Ukraine and 47.4% of its labor force. Over 60% of all Ukrainian women have higher education (college level and above). However, the unemployment rate of women is very high compared to men with the same educational background (80% of all unemployed in Ukraine are women), not to mention the extensive hidden unemployment among women.

Labor laws establish the legal equality of men and women, including equal pay for equal work, a principle that generally was observed. However, industries dominated by female workers had the lowest relative wages and were the ones most likely to be affected by wage arrears. The retirement age is in the process of being gradually increased, to 60 years for women and 62 years for men-civil servants by 2021 (the original age was 55 for women and 60 for men). There were reports of some employers refusing to hire younger women likely to become pregnant or women over 35. Women also received lower salaries and had limited opportunity for career advancement. Few women held top managerial positions in the government or in state- owned or private industry.

Women in Ukrainian business

On average women earn 30% less than men occupying similar posts.On Women's Day, struggle for equality remains
''Kyiv Post'' (8 March 2012)

About 50% of all enterprises without employees are woman owned. Enterprises with 1 to 5 employees are 27% woman owned. Enterprises with less than 50 employees are 30% woman owned. These numbers are similar to those in other Western economies. Women tend to lead small business in retail, wholesale trade and catering. 2% of large companies are headed by women.Topless protesters gain fame in Ukraine
The Washington Post (November 19, 2010)

In 2008, the women's labour participation rate (LPR) was approximately 62%.

Women in Ukrainian politics

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election 87 women were elected to parliament, a record for Ukraine, 20.52% of the total number of deputies.The new Council has increased the number of women deputies
Ukrayinska Pravda (23 July 2019) In the election about 50% of elected Voice deputies were women, 37% of the elected European Solidarity MP's were women; the least places for women was in Opposition Platform – For Life with 11.4%. In 2014, about 12.1% the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) were women. From the 2014 parliamentary election to the 2019 election this number increased to 53, that is, 12.6%. The percentage of female lawmakers fluctuates per election.Women's Social Activism in the New Ukraine
by Sarah D. Phillips, Indiana University Press, 2008, (page 57/58) Of the 47 women elected in 2014 to parliament only 2 achieved this by winning a constituency (the election used a mixed electoral system with 53.2% MP's elected under party lists and 46.8% in 198 constituenciesParliamentary elections not to be held at nine constituencies in Donetsk region and six constituencies in Luhansk region – CEC
Interfax-Ukraine (25 October 2014)). In 2019 26 women won a constituency seat. In the parliament elected in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election