Ukrainian soldier
Photo Credit: Veteranka Facebook Page
Esprit de Corps Magazine April 2022 // Volume 29 Issue 3
Let's Talk About Women in the Military – Column 37
By Military Woman
Question:
What do we know about Ukrainian military women?
Answer:
We know historically Ukraine’s military commenced in its present form December 06, 1991, shortly after the nation declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Very few women volunteered for military service prior to the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war. In 2014, the military still largely limited women volunteers to non-officer, gendered roles such as cooks and seamstresses. However, given this conflict’s nature, opportunities arose quickly for women to step up and do whatever needed to be done. In short order, women had proven themselves not only capable but well-suited to many roles previously only held by men including combat medic, intelligence and sniper.
By 2016, women made up over 8% of Ukraine’s military forces.
By 2017, over 54,000 Ukrainian women had military time – with over 21,000 having worked in combat related roles and over 10,000 with direct combat experience. Despite these impressive numbers, restrictions in Ukrainian legislation didn’t allow all women the same honours, benefits, or care after injury that were provided to men.
A hard-hitting documentary called “The Invisible Battalion”, helped to galvanize the nation to act. In 2018, Ukrainian legislation changes allowed women into over 60 military roles. In 2019, a bill was passed to afford women official veteran status on par with men. Although these were significant advances, many inequalities remained for serving and retired Ukrainian women. This reality led to the formation of the “Ukrainian Women Veterans Movement”. This organization advocates for many issues including workplace sexual violence prevention, military equipment adaptations for women and improved access to appropriate women’s health care.
At the end of December 2021, Ukraine again updated its military regulations.Women aged 18-60 with certain skill sets were ordered to register with the military for war time call up. Less than two months later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Although millions of elderly, women and children have now fled the country – there can be no doubt that millions of Ukrainian women, including thousands with recent combat experience, have stayed. As of March 2022, women are thought to make up between 15% - 20% of Ukraine’s military forces.
So, that’s a bit of the history. What else do we know about Ukrainian women who have served?
Demographic research showed women Veterans to have comparable military service length to men, while being more likely to be single, multilingual, renting their homes, and with higher levels of education.
Medical research found that despite women Veterans having similar physical injury rates to men, the women were only half as likely to have requested government disability recognition.
Military-to-Civilian Transition research indicated women Veterans were more interested than men in support programs. In particular, the women Veterans expressed higher interest in having access to advanced education opportunities, communication skills courses, job interview practice sessions and assistance to explain the advantages of their military skills to prospective civilian employers. Socially, women Veterans were more likely than men to experience civilian society bias, harassment and/or discrimination based on their military service. Women Veterans compared to men also had fewer civilian friends and placed a higher value on regular communications with other Veterans.
So, what is the take-away from all this information about Ukraine’s military women?
Solidarity
The Canadian and Ukrainian women, serving and retired, have faced many of the same sex and gender related challenges and struggles along our respective career paths. Military gender integration efforts may have started out earlier in Canada but Ukraine has moved to deeply integrate women into its armed forces incredibly quickly and bravely. There is much we can learn from each other.
To all the women fighting now – please know – you are not invisible. WE SEE YOU.
A few ways Canadians can show their solidarity include:
donating to verified international charities, Canadian-Ukrainian charities or medical charities, or directly to the Women Veteran Movement or Ukraine military;
advocating for more government supported Canadian-Ukrainian linkages especially through Women, Peace and Security related initiatives; and/or
volunteer overseas (if with military or medical skills) or in Canada (private sponsorships of refugees and resettlement programs).
Update:
2022. The Women Veteran Movement (WVM) started in 2018 and created the “Veteranka Foundation” in 2022. Their mission being to hand Ukraine to their descendants in a better condition than they inherited it in. See the WVM Facebook page for more information.
2024. June 30 is last day for Ukrainian financial assistance benefit program.
