"Women's contribution to national defense must be better recognized"

Liliya, your regional 1325 Coalition was actively involved in updating the second National Action Plan. Which three points are the most important or urgent for you?

First, the revision of the NAP’s target groups: new groups of victims have been included, particularly survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, people who have suffered material damage due to attacks, people subject to the jurisdiction of other countries (refugees, prisoners, and those forcibly deported to Russia from occupied territories), and others. In total, 21 target groups are listed for whom the updated NAP provides assistance.

Second, strengthening security measures in the most affected parts of the country: everything related to air raid protection and providing timely warnings to the population about dangers is extremely important to us.

Third, the participation of women in the security and defense sector: the number of support measures has been increased. The proportion of women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is currently around 30%. Many are also active in the police and border guard services. A large number of Ukrainian women are currently involved as volunteers, supporting the army and helping war victims. However, women's contribution to the country's defense should be more visible and better recognized, and their rights and interests should be better protected. The 1325 National Action Plan focuses on developing gender equality policies in the army and police, involving women in peacekeeping measures and negotiations, improving material and infrastructural support for women in military service, and developing their leadership skills.

How should the implementation of the NAP proceed step by step?

Step 1: Localization. Ukraine has the largest territory in Europe. Our regions are very different, and the war has affected them in different ways. Therefore, each of the 25 regional administrative units must adapt the second NAP to its own circumstances—that is, update its regional plan or create one if the region did not have one previously. But localization also means that every municipality should create a 1325 NAP. Only a few have one so far, but we are working on it. It is, of course, important that every plan—whether for a region or a municipality—has a budget and sources of funding. Because without money, an action plan remains just a statement of intent.

Step 2: Institutional interaction. For the successful implementation of the 1325 NAP, cooperation between all those involved in the implementation is essential, including the public sector, civil society, and international organizations.   

Step 3: Monitoring implementation. This includes evaluating the successes and gaps of the 1325 NAP, annual public reporting by those primarily responsible for the plan, expert discussions, and events on the topic of women, peace, and security.

How has the cooperation between the government and civil society been going so far?

It is noteworthy that the update of the second NAP was initiated by the Ukrainian NGO The Women's Information Consultative Centre, which is considered an expert on the "Women, Peace and Security" agenda in our country. Ultimately, representatives from all government sectors and levels, various state institutions—including, of course, the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy—as well as regional administrations and representatives of around 200 NGOs were involved in the work. Numerous consultation sessions have been held since the end of spring 2022, and our proposals were taken into account and included in the final version of the plan. The updated NAP was adopted on December 16, 2022. Subsequently, the regional action plans were to be updated within three months.

When updating the regional action plan for the Donetsk region, the contribution of civil society actors was important, including my own contribution as coordinator of the 1325 Coalition for the Donetsk region. Representatives of our coalition contributed many suggestions for changes during working groups, consultations, and training sessions. 133 of them were incorporated into the draft of the regional plan. Our coalition also initiated a memorandum with regional authorities on cooperation in monitoring the update process.

How is your regional 1325 coalition composed?

In the Donetsk region, 47 civil society organizations and initiative groups are represented. The coalition includes almost all municipalities in our region that are under Ukrainian control. The areas of work for these organizations are diverse: defending women's rights, promoting gender equality, providing social and psychosocial services, combating gender-based violence, supporting particularly vulnerable groups, and community work. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, most organizations have left the region due to the danger. However, they remain active for their communities from their various locations, focusing on providing humanitarian aid. All members of the 1325 Coalition belong to the target groups newly defined in the NAP: internally displaced persons and refugees, women with disabilities, peacemakers, representatives of national minorities, specialists in supporting victims (social, psychological, legal, humanitarian, medical), residents of the war zone, and mothers of young children.

On the project Together for Democracy

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