Ukraine strives to have everyone respect human rights, make women’s role undeniable - Lubinets

That’s according to Dmytro Lubinets, Parliament’s representative for human rights, Ukrinform reports.

"International Women's Day appeared on the calendars in North America and Europe as early as the beginning of the 20th century due to a number of labor movements for universal women's suffrage. And the international holiday for the protection of women's rights emerged after the UN General Assembly adopted in 1977 a resolution suggesting that the countries across the world celebrate the International Day of Women's Rights and International Peace," the Ombudsman said.

According to Lubinets, "today, for the sake of peace on their land, almost 60,000 Ukrainian women joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (military servicewomen and civil servants). It was women's organizations that were able to quickly mobilize efforts, providing humanitarian aid and carrying out effective volunteer work."

Lubinets recalled that already in extremely difficult conditions of full-scale hostilities in Ukraine, the government approved the State Strategy for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men for the period up to 2030.

The key goals of the document include an effective and coordinated functioning of the national mechanism for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men; combating all forms of violence, including conflict-related violence; and ensuring equal participation of women and men in various spheres of economic operations, which will create the basis for slowing down the processes of poverty rise associated with Russia’s aggression.

In addition, following a visit to Ukraine by the UN Special Representative for the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflicts, Pramila Patten, the Cabinet updated the National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace, Security" for the period until 2025.

This resolution covers the full and equal participation of women and men in decision-making at all levels and emphasizes the importance of women's broad involvement in conflict resolution and peace-building, as well as the protection of women from violence during conflict.

Also in 2022, Ukraine reported to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Committee recognized Ukraine's efforts to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men and provided its Concluding Remarks, which contain a number of recommendations for improving the situation of the elimination of discrimination against women in various spheres of public relations, taking into account the ongoing war.

Lubinets noted another significant event in the field of protection of women's rights - "Ukraine, after an over 10-year journey o, as one of the authors, finally ratified the Convention of the Council of Europe on preventing violence against women and domestic violence and combating these phenomena (Istanbul Convention), which entered into force in Ukraine in November 2022," he noted.

"Therefore, we are already on the way to achieving the transformational changes necessary for Ukraine to be a powerful, developed, and sustainable nation, where human rights are respected by everyone, the role of women is visible and undeniable, and no one is left behind," emphasized the Ombudsman.

According to the UN decision passed in 1977, March 8 is celebrated across the world as the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace