Olena Kondratiuk speaks at official opening of III UWCongress
23 July 2020, 14:15
“Ukrainian women should be at liberty to fully exercise their right to vote and be elected in the autumn local elections 2020,” -- Olena Kondratiuk, Vice Speaker
The organization and holding of the local elections this year is one of the main challenges for Ukraine and the establishment of the principles of equal rights and opportunities for men and women in our country. This was stated by the Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiuk, during today’s opening ceremony of the Ukrainian Women's Congress.
She stressed that in the light of the decentralization reform, it is at the local level that there be approved budgets and key decisions immediately affecting every community and every family.
According to the Vice Speaker, with the consolidation of districts there arises a big issue as to what the parity representation of women and men would then look like. She reminded that together with the IFA "Equal Opportunities" they had managed to establish for voting lists a 40 per cent gender quota of same-sex members.
“We do expect and are striving indeed to attract as many women as possible to participate in these elections. At the same time, we can clearly see a host of obstacles all along the way: unequal financial opportunities, insecurity, fear," the Vice Speaker clarified. - I therefore call on all actors in the election process to make every effort to ensure that this 40% quota be implemented; so that our women might fully exercise their constitutional right to vote and be elected, their right to participate in public affairs. I’m sure that the whole of our country would benefit from this vastly," Olena Kondratiuk added in conclusion.