Rapid Gender Analysis Brief
BrBrief

Rapid Gender Analysis Ukraine
Introduction
The invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February came as a shock to the country and the world. This
Rapid Gender Analysis Brief seeks to draw the attention of those engaged with Ukraine in humanitarian
operations to the most significant gender issues - both existing and emerging - and propose measures
to address them.
Like all military operations, this one will take its toll on many communities within Ukraine, with distinct
effects on women, men, children and marginalised groups. The starkest example is the current contrast
between the requirement that Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 years stay and join the fighting, and media
images of mostly women, children and the elderly fleeing the country.
Ukraine has made modest gains on women’s rights in recent years and has a developing state-level‘gender machinery’. These gains were already under threat from deeply entrenched and persistentgender and discrimination-based inequalities, eight years of conflict in the east of the country, and thegendered social and economic stress wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. This current crisis, withmass displacement inside and outside Ukraine, will add to that complex situation and put pressure on
any gains that have been made.
Humanitarian actors need to build on the advances in gender equality and women’s empowerment by
Ukrainian women’s rights, women-led and civil society organisations, and work with them to identify andrespond to the different humanitarian needs of women, men, boys, girls and people of all genders. This
Rapid Gender Analysis Brief for Ukraine and the Gender in Crisis Ukraine infographic are a first attempt
to identify the gender, age, and diversity issues so that humanitarian responses can better meet
people’s different needs as the crisis evolves.

CARE International | March 2022

Photo Credit: Francesco Pistilli

Key Findings
Most of the people fleeing Ukraine are women, girls and boys. Adult men are staying in Ukraine.
Ukraine already has an unusual demographic population profile with many more women (54%) thanmen (46%). This is compounded by the current crisis. Men aged 18 to 60 years are remaining in
Ukraine, while mostly women, children and older people are fleeing the conflict-affected cities andleaving the country. This means the demographic profile of affected people is likely to be quitedistinctive in terms of gender and age depending on where people are located.
Humanitarian programming must take into account the diverse needs of the population to beeffective. Ukraine has more than 130 ethnic groups (Census 2001) and many minority language
groups. Gender intersects with diversity factors to create distinct groups with specific vulnerabilities.
These include the Roma community, older people, people with disabilities, women in rural communities
in displacement and conflict zones, and LGBTI communities (See UWF’s ‘Whose Voices Will Sound
Louder in Civil Society’; and International Alert, Charitable Foundation Nasnaha and Gender Action for
Peace and Security (GAPS) UK).
Key marginalised demographic groups on whom there is available information include:• Older age groups who comprise more than a fifth of the Ukrainian population. Older
people over 65 years represent 22% of the population. Older women are more marginalised andeconomically vulnerable than older men with the gender pay gap leading to a gender pension
gap (32% in 2018). Because the number of women of retirement age is higher than men,
women are more dependent on state pension and social policy measures. Also in 2018, abaseline survey of conflict-affected older women and men in the government-controlled areas(GCAs) of Donetsk and Luhansk conducted by HelpAge International found that 20.5% of older
people (75.8% of whom were women) experienced at least one type of violence and abuse. The
most common form of abuse was emotional / psychological abuse (UNDP Ukraine (2019)
Gender Equality Strategy 2019-2022).
•

Data and information on the number and situation of people with disabilities is limited –According to the State Statistics Service, in 2020, there were 2.7 million persons with disabilities
in Ukraine (i.e. approx. 6% of the population). The figure of 2.7 million reported to OHCHR was
also reported in 2010 and so the accuracy of the data must be questioned. Also, according to
the State Statistics Service, in 2019, there were 163,886 children with disabilities. Stigma, lackof specialised support services and physical barriers mean that children with disabilities are
more likely to be placed in specialised boarding schools or institutions where about half of thechildren have a disability or developmental delay (UNICEF, 2021).

•

The Roma population faces ongoing discrimination. Even data on the Roma population in
Ukraine is contested. The last Census took place in 2001. It put the number of Romani in
Ukraine at 47,600. However, according to various estimates, the Roma community comprises
between 200,000 and 400,000 people living in all regions of the country (Council of Europe,2021). In 2013, Ukraine adopted a Strategy and Plan of Action for the Protection and Integrationof the Roma National Minority into Ukrainian Society, neither of which address gender issues or
the needs of Roma women and girls. A 2019, a report by Minority Rights Group Europe on theRoma in Ukraine noted the continuing discrimination and violence against the group. During the
COVID-19 pandemic, Roma communities were affected in distinct ways: the majority lack civil
status documents, creating difficulties in accessing education, employment and health services.
In addition, about 55.6% of internally displaced Roma interviewed by the Roma Women Fund,
Chiricli, were not registered, which limits their access to humanitarian assistance.

•Significant numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) pre-date the current crisis. Asof March 2021, UNHCR, reporting data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy, confirmed
there are almost 1.5 million IDPs, of which 58.56% are female and 41.44% male. In addition,pensioners make up 49.6%, children 13%, persons with disabilities 4% and people of working
age 26.6% of the IDP population. UN Women (May 220) report that internally displaced womenface discrimination in attempting to access economic resources, public services, and decisionmaking processes. In the current conflict, there is a significant risk of double or triple
displacement of those who were already displaced.

Ukraine is one of the poorest countries in Europe and Ukrainian women are more likely toreceive social assistance than men. UN Women (May 2020) citing data from the State Statistics
Service reported that, in 2018, women constituted 72.2% of those registered to receive social
assistance and 73% of applicants for in-kind aid and cash assistance. There are significant levels of
distrust amongst the Ukrainian population of financial systems and 39% of the population is unbanked.
Access to the internet is highly variable depending on geographic location. It is more available in urban(76% have access) than in rural areas (44% have access). Women make up 92.2% of single parents.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, women experienced heightened economic stress caused by the
double burden of house- and care-work and limited financial resources.
The labour market reflects gender inequality. According to the International Gender Gap Index
Report 2020, Ukraine ranks 59th of 153 countries with the labour market. The market exhibits genderinequalities in several ways; since 2014, the pay gap between men and women increased from 24% to26%, occupational segregation means that women tend to occupy specific sectors associated withlower pay and are under-represented in upper management positions (reported in USAID, 2017).
Health statistics reveal that Ukrainian women outlive men by about 10 years. This is similar to thatobserved in other East European countries but almost double that of Western Europe. The gap is
attributed, in part, to behavioural differences with men smoking and/or drinking alcohol more, working in
unsafe jobs and not seeking treatment for health issues (reported in FAO, 2021). COVID-19 vaccination
rates are also lower than the European average. Ukraine has the second highest rates of HIV in
Eastern Europe and Central Asia, affecting about 1% of the population. In Ukraine, health workers areprimarily women who represent 83% of health and social care workers (USAID, 2017).
Women’s access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in Ukraine fell sharply during
the pandemic according to International Alert, Charitable Foundation Nasnaha and GAPS UK. As thisnew crisis results in increased displacement and severe impacts on health infrastructure, the increased
risk of COVID-19 combined with growing numbers of crisis-affected men, women, boys and girls inneed of emergency health services, will put additional pressure on the country’s already-stretchedhealth system (OCHA Sit Rep 1, February 26, 2022). Global standards show that 4% of the displaced
population is estimated to be pregnant women and girls and 15% of them will require life-saving
emergency obstetric newborn care for treatment of complications in pregnancy.
Gender-based violence (GBV) affects at least one fifth of women. A nationwide study found that
22% of Ukrainian women between 15 and 49 years experienced at least one form of physical or sexual
violence in their lifetime (reported in FAO, 2021). Domestic violence is the most prevalent form of
violence. The COVID-19 pandemic saw an increase in domestic violence against women, children andolder people. Calls to domestic violence helplines grew by 50% in the conflict-affected Donetsk andLuhansk regions and by 35% in other regions of Ukraine. Participants in a 2021 study on genderequality, peace and security in a COVID-19 Ukraine noted that the increase in GBV was a product of acomplex set of social, cultural and economic factors that support a culture of non-interference in ‘family
affairs’ and a culture of silence around such violence.

Ukraine has extremely high levels of literacy. UNESCO reports that women and men in Ukraine
have almost 100% literacy. Ukraine has achieved gender parity in enrolment from the pre-primary up to
tertiary level of education. The greatest gender disparities in enrolment in educational institutions areseen in technical and vocational education. There are distinct gender patterns in fields of study, withyoung women and men channelled toward certain academic subjects, women, for example, are more
likely to study healthcare and education (State Statistics Service, 2020).
More women are participating in Ukrainian decision-making, but men still dominate politics andleadership positions. The percentage of women members of parliament in Ukraine increased from
2.7% in the 1990s to 11.7% in 2014 and to 20.5% in 2019. A gender quota system for parliamentaryelections is in place since 2014 and for local councils since 2015. However, the absence of financial
and other supports for women candidates and of a quota compliance mechanism, coupled with highlevels of violence and abuse, including cyber-bullying, against women candidates, limited the impact of
the system somewhat. In the 2020 local elections, women’s representation grew from 15.3% to 28%.
This latter figure reflects increased representation of women in large towns and cities but a drop of
12.6% on the local councils and 14.8% as settlement, village and city mayors (PIN, 2021; and USAID,
Ukrainian Women’s Fund (UWF), NDI, 2021, Final Gender Monitoring Report on the Early
Parliamentary Election in Ukraine). Ukraine was the first country to adopt a National Action Plan on
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 during armed conflict. Ukrainian women leaders,
mediators and organisations have been extremely active in efforts on women peace and security withthe launch of the 2020 campaign Women Are Key to Peace.
Women’s organisations exist in Ukraine and are active throughout the country. A variety ofwomen-led organisations (WLOs), women’s rights organisations (WROs) and civil society organisations(CSOs) are all present in Ukraine. The 2014 Maidan Revolution generated high levels of civic activism,
especially among young people using social media. Respondents to a UN Women 2020 study on thecapacity of women’s organisations and CSOs on gender equality and women’s rights in Ukraine notedthat the greatest challenges to progress on gender equality and women’s rights are the lack of politicaland public support, and the lack of resources. They identified organisations focused on a range ofthemes including:• Women with disabilities,• Economic and political equality• Sexual and reproductive health and• Gender Based Violence,rights,• Women Peace and Security,• Roma women,• Business leadership,• Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex• Law reforms and policy advocacy
and queer (LBTIQ) issues and rights.
• Poverty reduction,

Recommendations
To States bordering Ukraine:!
!

Collect gender, age and disability data refugee from Ukrainians fleeing violence and work withpartners to ensure a gender sensitive response.
Engage with Ukrainian women leaders, mediators, and organisations working on the Women Peaceand Security agenda on matters pertaining to peace and security.

To humanitarian donors:!

Consult with Ukrainian women leaders and representatives of marginalised groups like Disability
Rights Organisations and the Roma community to understand the needs identified by them and toincrease their influence in making humanitarian decisions in and for their communities.

!

Include/insist on the inclusion of gender, age and disability sensitive data and indicators for all
proposals to ensure the impact on women, girls, and marginalised population groups can be
identified and measured.

!

Prioritise the funding of progressive Rapid Gender Analysis (as above). Given the scale and speedof ongoing and expected fighting and displacement, the response must be commensurate in scaleand speed.

!

Local and national actors are best placed to respond but will require significant financial support
quickly and potentially additional support if local capacity is overwhelmed. Identify and support
women-led and women’s rights organisations and INGOs who support them.

!

Ensure there is funding available for the provision of immediate services to GBV survivors andessential and lifesaving SRH services, in line with the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP).

!

Use tools like Gender and Age Markers to ensure gender and diversity is mainstreamed from the
beginning into funding humanitarian multi-sectoral response. Make sure the Gender and Age
marker tools can be used quickly by applicants.

!

Ensure the gender and diversity-oriented content of briefing materials, talking points, speeches, andwebsites.

To humanitarian leadership and actors:! In each area of intervention and, wherever possible, in collaboration with local women’sorganisations, conduct progressive Rapid Gender Analysis to understand the distinct needs,
priorities and capacities of women, girls, boys and men from diverse groups.
!

In the absence of statistical data that is disaggregated, use available pre-crisis data to inform theplanning and implementation of all relevant humanitarian actions.

!

Take deliberate measures to ensure the inclusive participation of women from diverse communities
at all decision-making levels and on topics related to the humanitarian response. Liaise and work in
partnership with women-led and women’s rights organisations and the INGOs that support them.

!

Cash Voucher Assistance (CVA) is likely to be a key modality in providing humanitarian assistance.
Make sure that humanitarian responders:! Partner with local organizations especially women led organizations to support affected womenand girls with cash voucher disbursements.

! Explore the broader financial landscape and adopt use of crypto currencies where feasible inareas where cash might not be available from financial institutions,! CVA disbursements should be aimed to meet needs of all household members including

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children and the older people.
Map the media landscape in each area of operation to identify affected people’s preferred and mosttrusted channels of communication. Recognise that different groups (e.g. single mothers with young
children, people with disabilities, Roma communities) will have different communication andinformation needs and will likely have access to and trust different media channels, language andformat, including those they can and will use to provide feedback or make complaints.
In all communications on the crisis, feature the diverse voices of women from the most vulnerable
groups, including women with disabilities, Roma women, women living with HIV/AIDS and single
mothers, and do so in a way that highlights their capacity and agency. Identify and actively engage
women members of particular communities in the dissemination of information within the group.
In each area of intervention, collaborate with relevant local and national actors to conduct a GBV
services mapping. Such mapping should also include a gap analysis and the development ofreferral pathways and associated communications campaign.
Collaborate with UNFPA, local and international health actors to ensure that the full package of lifesaving SRH services and supplies guided by the MISP are available.