Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to disproportionately affect women and girls. Women in Ukraine face higher rates of poverty, displacement, and gender-based violence, and are the majority in need of humanitarian assistance.
Recent OECD data shows that, while official development assistance to Ukraine jumped from USD 1.3 billion in 2021 to USD 18.9 billion the following year, 90 per cent-or USD 17.1 billion-of this funding did not include any gender equality objectives. Only USD 44 million was allocated to efforts to advance gender equality as the principal objective.
To counter these trends, UN Women Ukraine has spearheaded a new effort, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine: the "Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery" which was launched at the Ukraine Recovery Conference on 12 June 2024 in Berlin.
New alliance promotes gender-responsive recovery efforts in Ukraine
The Alliance brings together 15 governments, major international financial institutions, UN agencies, the EU, and numerous partners from civil society and the private sector. Members are encouraged to support initiatives that promote gender equality, women's protection, and empowerment, and to prioritize the needs of displaced women, returnees, disabled women, veterans, rural women, and LGBTIQ+ persons, ensuring their participation in recovery decision-making processes.
The commitments that Alliance signatories agreed to include:
- Increasing funding for projects that advance gender equality and protect women and girls, applying the OECD DAC's gender policy marker.
- Supporting the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and women's rights organizations in decision-making processes at all levels.
- Delivering financial and technical assistance that addresses the specific needs of women and girls, utilizing tools for gender-responsive planning and budgeting, and financing projects identified in the Ukraine Plan and the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment.
As part of its commitment, the business community is also encouraged to adopt the UN's Women's Empowerment Principles and implement them within Ukraine.
Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women representative in Ukraine, said, "This year's URC has spotlighted women and girls' recovery needs and their leadership in responding to Russia's aggression. The Alliance sends a strong signal of international unity to further strengthen support to gender equality and women's empowerment in Ukraine in partnership with the Government of Ukraine and civil society."
By prioritizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the Alliance aims to ensure that Ukraine's recovery efforts can rebuild the country with greater equality for all.
