On 29 August 2024, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko took part in the seminar “Gender Sensitive Legislative Impact Assessment: Canadian Experience and Prospects for Implementation in Ukraine”, organised by the Independent Ukrainian Think Tank “Agency for Legislative Initiatives”.
Today, the implementation of gender-sensitive legislative impact assessment is one of the priority tasks for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. “The principles of inclusiveness, equality and diversity should be taken into account when developing legislative initiatives. This is important both in the context of the parliamentary reform and in the context of Ukraine's European integration,” said Oleksandr Korniienko in his speech. According to him, it should be borne in mind that diversity and inclusiveness are two key ideological principles of the European Union. Every democratic state works to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
In his speech, the First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament noted that Ukraine has made significant progress in gender equality as a democratic value. At the same time, a number of issues need to be addressed in the context of gender policy in the civil service system. “We also have to work to make the civil service more gender-balanced. We are trying to systematise and integrate best practices and international standards of work to make appropriate political decisions,” said the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Gender balance is also important in the work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. According to Oleksandr Korniienko, the percentage of female MPs in the Parliament is currently 21% of the total number of MPs. It is predicted that in the next convocation, in accordance with the new norms of the Electoral Code of Ukraine, this figure will increase to about 40%. “The civil service should also be gender-balanced and equal. We currently see a certain imbalance. There are more women in category B positions and more men in category A positions. The majority of senior positions in category B are held by men. We have to take into account the need for balance and equality. After all, this is also one of the dimensions of gender-sensitive assessment,” summed up the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
