The event was held on the initiative of the Equal Opportunities interfactional deputy association (IFDA) in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
The initiative of the Public Council’s creation is aimed at the unification and effective coordination of efforts of people’s deputies, civic activists and international organizations working at the issues of gender equality in Ukraine.
According to the priorities of the Public Council’s work, six thematic groups have been formed in its composition.
Each group is headed by a representative of the IFDA Equal Opportunities:
Group 1. Political participation - Olena Kondratiuk, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy, Co-Chairperson of the IFDA Equal Opportunities.
Group 2. Security and peacekeeping - Maria Ionova, Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on European Integration, Co-Chairperson of the IFDA Equal Opportunities.
Group 3. Gender-sensitive parliament - Olena Sotnyk, Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to the European Union Legislation under the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on European Integration.
Group 4. Expanding rights and powers in business sphere - Aliona Babak, Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Construction, Urban Development, Housing and Communal Services, Co-Chairperson of the IFDA Equal Opportunities.
Group 5. Ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention - Iryna Lutsenko, Chairperson of the Subcommittee on International-Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Control Over the Implementation of International Obligations by Ukraine under the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Foreign Affairs.
6. Gender education - Lilia Hrynevych, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Science and Education, Co-Chairperson of the IFDA Equal Opportunities.
In addition to the representatives of the interfactional deputy association, each working group will be coordinated by a representative of non-governmental organizations. The presidency will be held on a rotating basis.
Larysa Kobelianska has become coordinator of the Public Council on Gender Issues.
At the initial stage of the Public Council’s work, it will be charged with creation of a map of gender programs, as well as formation of the schedule of events for 2016 on the basis of current programs and initiatives of organizations-participants. In addition, the Public Council plans to elaborate a comprehensive methodology for assessing legislative acts from the gender point of view.
Reference information:
The Public Council on Gender Issues is a permanent body that will generalize information on existing in Ukraine programs for supporting gender equality in various fields and promote elaboration of a common strategy for activities of the Equal Opportunities interfactional deputy association, NGOs, experts and international organizations. This will help to improve coordination of the activity and avoid doubling and eliminate gaps in certain fiends, and in the course of time make efforts on overcoming inequality between women and men more effective and strategically directed.