On 11 December, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa held a meeting with the Representative of UN Women in Ukraine, Sabine Freizer Gunes.

Mariana Betsa expressed her gratitude to UN Women and its Office in Ukraine for their support of Ukraine’s efforts in advancing gender equality and protecting women’s rights. “In the context of the challenges posed by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it is vital that UN Women’s projects in our country properly take into account the issues faced by women during the war, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV),” noted Mariana Betsa.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed women’s participation in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, the enhancement of women’s economic empowerment, their active participation at the local level, and other priority areas of cooperation with UN Women in Ukraine.

Mariana Betsa also extended her appreciation to Sabine Freizer Gunes for supporting the second gender audit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which demonstrated significant progress in creating favourable conditions for women’s professional development in diplomacy and ensuring equal opportunities for all employees. She underlined the importance of continued cooperation to promote gender equality within the diplomatic service system.