Government Programmes in Ukraine - Empowerment

Equitable Access to Opportunities Programme 2002-2005

This Programme is supported by the Ministry of Economy, State Committee on Family and Youth, SIDA, IRF, Ombudsperson’s Office, Ministry of Justice, Secretariat of Verkhovna Rada, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Committee of Information Policies, Radio and Television, Oblast Administrations, Ministry of Interior.
The program aims to tackle significant gender inequalities in the following critical areas:
a. Leadership and Decision Making
b. Media
c. Employment and Income
d. Private Entrepreneurship
e. Health and Life Expectancy
f. Security
g. Legislation
h. Gender Sensitive Policies
i. Civil Society
j. Access to Justice
k. Media and Education
As a result, policy makers at the central level, as well as on the regional and local level, will receive training, gender desegregated data, analysis and handbooks. These tools will make gender mainstreaming of state policies and programmes feasible. Women and men’s equal rights and opportunities will be protected by legislation. Civil society organisations with innovative ideas on promoting gender equality will benefit from grants and networks. The regions of Ukraine will benefit from direct support to government and civil society. The youth of Ukraine will have gender courses on the schedule in schools and at universities.

Woman in Society Program

The goal of the Program is to defend women’s rights and eradicate societal gender discrimination by:

a. Encouraging the development of a national gender policy;
b. Supporting women’s participation in political decision-making at the local, regional and national levels;
c. Furthering the development and strengthening of a network of Ukrainian women’s NGOs; Supporting cooperation amongst women’s organisations at the national and international levels;
d. Broadening Ukrainian women’s NGOs’ access to international resources in this area.
e. Enhancing women’s economic opportunities by strengthening associations of entrepreneurs that emphasise defending female entrepreneurs interests;
f. Supporting women’s NGOs active in the economic area;
g. Changing societal attitudes towards the idea of gender equality through dissemination of these ideas in Ukraine, integration of gender-sensitive views, methods and programs at all levels of education;
h. Establishing a single network of Ukrainian women’s NGOs, creating thematic databases and communications networks;
i. Encouraging Ukraine’s representation in international women’s events, and securing access by Ukrainian women to international resources and information;
j. Disseminating knowledge on female reproductive system pre-cancerous and cancerous disease;
k. Conducting public awareness activities on reproductive health issues, sexual and reproductive rights, in particular among youth.