SSR

But the war has also meant greater involvement by women in the armed forces. Many Ukrainian women voluntarily signed enlistment contracts in order to protect their country against the aggression. We now have 19,892 women in the armed forces of Ukraine, of whom 2,458 are officers and 17,000 are non-commissioned officers or soldiers. Of that group, 266 women were mobilized directly into the ranks of the armed forces. Women also play an important role in providing medical help at the front, and very often they have been active in saving both civilians and our soldiers during the conflict. This year we took a number of special steps to include the gender component in the area of security-sector reform. Although those measures are just at their initial stage — to speak frankly — they have already brought initial results: they have brought about a transformation in the military structures and the military culture.

This past summer we expanded the list of specialities in which women can serve in the armed forces, including in military functions. We need to bring gender advisers into the military. We hope that will be done soon and that the Ukrainian Government will adopt such a measure. We plan to enact broader legal changes so as to eliminate barriers, ensure the equal representation of women in the military and enhance parliamentary oversight of national security and defence.