On March 4, a roundtable discussion titled "Gender Equality Index: Ukraine's Confident Step Towards European Integration" was held under the chairpersonship of Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine - Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, and Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová. The event was organized in cooperation with the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).

In her speech, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa emphasized the significance of gender equality not only as a fundamental component of Ukraine’s European integration process but also as a key element in the development of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. “The implementation of the Gender Equality Index in Ukraine reflects the political will for the full-fledged European integration. Despite the unprecedented challenges caused by Russian aggression, Ukraine remains committed to European values and is actively working to integrate the principles of gender equality into all areas of state policy”, Mariana Betsa noted.

The Ukrainian diplomat expressed gratitude to international partners, particularly to UN Women and the European Union, for their support and constructive dialogue in this critical area.

The event was attended by Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Kateryna Levchenko, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Head of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine Iryna Zhuk, Member of Parliament of Ukraine Maryna Bardina, Director of Strategic Development at the Ukrainian Women’s Fund Natalia Karbovska, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) Carlien Scheele, UN Women Ukraine Program Coordinator Tetyana Kudina, foreign diplomats, representatives of international organizations, civil society, and experts.