Ukraine has made significant progress in ensuring women’s rights, however formal equality still does not guarantee equal opportunities for career growth, participation in decision-making, and realising one's own potential.
This was emphasized by co-founder of the Ukrainian Women’s Congress, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk, during the opening of the 10th Ukrainian Women’s Congress in Kyiv.
“Over these 10 years, we have won the right to access, but we also need a right to influence. We have women’s access to professions, positions, politics, and retraining. However, formal equality still does not mean equal attitude, equal opportunities of career growth, or real influence on decisions while in office,” she emphasized.
Olena Kondratiuk recalled the changes that the Congress and the women's movement in Ukraine have made to achieve. Particularly, these include opening combat positions for women in the military, abolishing the list of over 450 professions prohibited to women, introducing a 40 percent gender quota on electoral lists, and strengthening legislation on protecting women from violence.
At the same time, according to her, despite legislative amendments, women still face unequal career opportunities in the military, the gender pay gap, uneven distribution of care work, and limited influence on decision-making.
“We have learned to open doors for women. Now we have to ensure that behind these doors lie truly equal opportunities,” said the co-founder of the Congress.
She explained that this very transition from formal access to real equality lies at the core of the theme of the 10th Congress – “From Exceptions to New Standards.”
“When we say today 'From Exceptions to New Standards,' these new standards are not new demands on women. They are new demands on the state, society, politics, and the economy. They must finally correspond to the new reality that women have already created,” emphasized Olena Kondratiuk.
According to her, the goal is to ensure that women no longer have to demonstrate exceptional resilience or overcome systemic barriers for the sake of fair pay, leadership roles, or professional self-realization.
“The new standard is when the system works not because of exceptional women, but for all women,” she stressed.
Olena Kondratiuk drew special attention to the importance of continuing work on ensuring gender equality during the full-scale war. This year, the Congress received over 1,500 applications for participation, which, according to her, confirms Ukrainian women's need for a joint dialogue about the future.
“We cannot be constantly exhausted, constantly afraid, hiding, and putting on our lives. The war must not consume us. We must continue to live,” she said.
The Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called for not postponing societal changes until the end of the war and expressed hope that the next ten Ukrainian Women’s Congresses will take place in a peaceful Ukraine.
“For me, faith in Ukraine is not only faith that it will stand firm. It is faith in what it will become,” concluded Olena Kondratiuk.