Gender Mainstreaming in Post-Soviet Ukraine: Application and Applicability

Gender equality has gained substantial political importance in Ukraine, but implementation of the international trend towards ‘gender mainstreaming’ has had mixed success: the phrase is not yet part of the main political discourse, where older terms still prevail. The very term ‘gender’ is novel, and attitudes towards women reflect traditional concerns. Much legislation was adopted in the past decade, supposedly to enshrine gender equality; but this has not translated into meaningful social change. Social and economic conditions, including unfamiliarity with emerging global standards, preserve stereotyped thinking and militate against effective action. The issue does not feature strongly in education; women's organizations are weak; the media do not engage effectively with the issue; and ambivalent attitudes limit the impact of foreign sources of information and funding. These factors could all be deployed more effectively in order to bring Ukraine closer to world best practice. In addition, a more context-driven application of the gender mainstreaming model would result in its greater practical impact in the country.