Women have been allowed to enlist in the Ukrainian armed forces since 1994. However, this ability has not been easily, widely, or fairly realized without requiring them to overcome major obstacles. As recently as 2018, Ukraine amended laws that had discriminated against women and prevented them from having equal status to men within the military, allowing women to hold combat jobs, such as snipers and gunners, for the first time. The following year, women were granted admission to military academies, allowing them access to training to become officers and giving them greater influence within the Ukrainian armed forces. Although women’s rights to participate alongside men within Ukraine’s military have significantly improved, there is still much that remains to be done. Women continue to struggle. They don’t receive adequate resources, such as feminine hygiene products and equipment, equal pay and consideration for higher and more powerful positions, and protection from sexual assault and harassment. The traditional ideas of women’s behaviors or societal roles continue to interfere with women’s efforts in the armed forces. Recently, in2021 Ukrainian military women marched the streets in heels, protesting the requirement for female cadets to wear them, as opposed to military-style boots, for formal occasions.
Today, the resilient spirit of Ukrainian women persists in their increased involvement in the national military amid the Russian invasion. In 2021, as Russian troops began assembling along the Ukrainian border, Ukraine required women “fit for military service” aged 18 to 60 to enlist. Professions eligible for conscription were recently expanded under a recent amendment, meaning more women, including librarians, musicians, psychologists, etc., now qualified for mandatory military registration making them eligible to be drafted. In 2020, data shows that 31,000 women, 15.6% of the armed forces, were actively serving. By March 2021, the Ukrainian military was 22.5% female, with more than 900 women officers in command positions. Past women who challenged gender barriers within Ukraine’s military paved the way for others to be equally considered and eligible to help defend their country today.
Following the outbreak of the Ukrainian-Russian war, women have not hesitated to volunteer their services to defend their nation. As of March 15th, over 3 million people, consisting of women, children, and the elderly, have left Ukraine seeking refuge in neighboring countries, over 60% of them in Poland. Men aged 18 to 60 are excluded from this number due to martial law that requires them to stay within the country. Despite being free to flee a country under attack, many brave Ukrainian women have decided to stay to fight or support Ukraine in other ways. Even women who had fled, are now deciding to return. Whether offering medical and military services or helping others evacuate, women are actively defending their country in countless ways.
As the war continues, it is necessary to acknowledge the people living through it to preserve the humanity of the crisis and rally global support. The Ukrainian men and women actively defending their country from immeasurable threats and attacks, as well as the millions of people forcibly displaced from their homes, deserve to be recognized and supported by the global community, especially by nations with vast economic and military resources. To stay updated on the crisis, check out NPR’s daily briefings.
