Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery in Ukraine Launched with strong support of governments, UN agencies, private sector and civil society

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to disproportionately affect women and girls, the need for targeted and inclusive recovery efforts to support them has become more urgent. Women in Ukraine face higher rates of poverty, displacement, and gender-based violence, and are the majority in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite their crucial roles in humanitarian, defense, and early recovery efforts, women continue to encounter barriers to formal decision-making and equality in economic life.

Ukraine has made significant strides in mainstreaming gender equality in its recovery and reconstruction plans, which have been expedited since the 2022 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Lugano. Key initiatives include the establishment of the Platform for Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusive Recovery, led by the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and women’s rights organizations’ inclusion in recovery discussions via the CSO Consultative Panel. The new Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery is a way for international partners to support these efforts.

Recent OECD data shows that since the escalation of Russia's invasion in 2022, there has been a decrease in international funding for gender equality. In 2022, ODA to Ukraine jumped from US$1.3 billion in 2021 to $18.9 billion. At the same time 90 percent or $17.1 billion (90  per cent) of this funding did not include any gender equality objectives. Only $44 million was allocated to efforts to advance gender equality as the principal objective.

The Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery is a concerted effort to improve funding and financing for gender equality in Ukraine’s recovery.

 The significant commitments that Alliance signatories agree to include:

• Integrating Gender Perspectives into Funding and Resources: Increasing the share of funding for projects that advance gender equality and protect women and girls, applying the OECD DAC’s gender policy marker, and ensuring transparent monitoring and reporting of fund allocations.
• Ensuring Women’s Participation and Representation: Supporting the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and women’s rights organizations in decision-making processes at all levels, including in the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform (MDCP) for Ukraine and future Ukraine Recovery Conferences.
• Prioritizing Women’s Rights and Needs: 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 (RDNA).

The Alliance will work closely with the Platform for Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusive Recovery and the CSO Consultative Panel to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach in the run-up to the next URC in Rome.

Members of the Alliance 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. By joining forces, the Alliance will create a sustainable impact that will grow as recovery progresses.

As part of its commitment, the business community is encouraged to adopt the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and implement them within Ukraine. Concrete actions outlined in the 2024 Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA3) provide a clear roadmap for meeting the specific needs of women and girls in the recovery and reconstruction phases.

Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women representative in Ukraine: “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.”

The launch of the Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery marks a significant step towards achieving sustainable and inclusive development in Ukraine. By prioritizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the Alliance aims to ensure that Ukraine's recovery efforts build back better and more equal.