On February 8, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Strategic Session on ensuring gender equality within the Ukrainian diplomatic service in the context of Ukraine's EU accession process. The event was supported by the UN Women project "Transformative Approaches to Achieving Gender Equality in Ukraine", financed by the Government of Sweden.
Members of the Commission on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the diplomatic service system, established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2020, as well as representatives of the UN Women Office in Ukraine, participated in the Strategic Session.
In her speech, Deputy Minister Iryna Borovets announced the presentation of the results of the second gender audit of the diplomatic service system, which will take place at the end of March – the beginning of April 2024.
"Gender equality and European integration – these two components fully reflect our desire to build a fairer, inclusive, modern society. Together with our international partners, we will continue to work to ensure that every person, regardless of their gender or any other characteristics, has the opportunity to fully realize their professional and personal potential for the benefit of our country," Iryna Borovets stressed.
The head of the UN Women Office in Ukraine, Sabine Fraser-Gunesh, praised the leadership of Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in particular, within the framework of "He For She” campaign, as well as the leading role played by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in promoting gender equality in the Ukrainian civil service.
The achievements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the issue of gender equality were noted, such as the fact that two women currently hold the positions of deputy ministers (out of five), 15 women diplomats head diplomatic missions abroad (22% of the total number), a quarter of management positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the level of departments general and units belong to women. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue working to further increase participation of women in diplomacy.
Iryna Borovets drew attention to other achievements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an institution that strives to set an example and demonstrate leadership in matters of gender equality. Two leadership seminars for women, the launch of a training program for women diplomats, which includes studying abroad, communicating with their counterparts and studying European experience, as well as reloading of the mentoring system at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were mentioned.
The strategic session participants developed practical ideas for the implementation of the Action Plan for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the diplomatic service for the years 2023–2025.
"We are actively working to increase the share of women in all positions in the system of the diplomatic service, so we can achieve true gender equality at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This will correspond to the leadership, intellectual and creative potential that women have in our society. I am sure that such an approach will strengthen us from the inside, and will have a positive effect on the image of our country in the world, where individuality, equality and diversity are respected," – Deputy Minister Iryna Borovets concluded.