Statement by the UN Women Representative in Ukraine, Sabine Freizer Gunes on the International Women’s Day

Women’s and girls’ rights are facing unprecedented threats worldwide, from higher levels of discrimination to weaker legal protections, and less funding for programs and institutions that support and protect women. In Ukraine, while much progress has been made regarding women’s access to rights and services, the ongoing large-scale invasion by the Russian Federation is causing women to face increased violence, displacement, poverty and mental health challenges. 

UN Women’s latest report “Women's Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing”, published in commemoration of the 50th International Women’s Day on March 8 and at the eve of the 59th Commission of the Status of Women, shows that in 2024 one in four countries report backlash on women’s rights in 2024. Promises made in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action are now at risk.

Around the world, every 10 minutes, a woman is murdered by someone in her own family; gender gaps in labor force participation remain stagnant; women and girls face the worst consequences of climate change; and emerging technologies are increasingly weaponized against them. At this rate, the milestones of equality, such as equal representation in parliament and the end of extreme poverty, are decades away.

International Women's Day takes on special significance in Ukraine, as the country continues to struggle for its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity amidst Russia's ongoing full-scale war. Amidst the challenges, Ukrainian women continue to lead. They are resisting Russia’s attacks with more than 67 thousand women serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including more than 10,000 women directly performing combat missions on the front line. Ukrainian women have stepped into leadership roles as humanitarian workers, civil society leaders, community mobilizers, and entrepreneurs—today, one in every two businesses in Ukraine is founded by a woman. New opportunities for women in sectors previously dominated by men, such as security, transportation, and demining are opening up.

Yet, Ukrainian women are significantly underrepresented in the politics and decision-making roles. Among the 21 ministers in the Ukrainian government, 5 are women (24% of the total). Only 22% of members of parliament are women. By 2024, only 48 per cent of displaced women were employed, compared to 71 per cent of men. According to a recent academic study Women’s Economic Empowerment in Ukraine during Russia’s Invasion , women also earned 41.4 per cent less than men in 2023, doubling the pay gap since 2021.

Despite immense hardships, Ukrainian women are working tearlessly integrating gender equality into Ukraine's recovery. The Governments of Ukraine and Germany, supported by UN Women, in 2025 created the Alliance for Gender Responsive and Inclusive Recovery which now has over 65 signatories amongst member states, international financial institutions UN agencies, international and national organizations and private companies. Members of the Alliance have committed to supporting more financing and more women’s leadership in decision making on recovery. They are already transforming these commitments into concrete actions.

In 2024, UN Women supported more than 180,000 women and girls affected by the full-scale war in Ukraine, including though the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund, providing immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance; psychosocial and legal support; protection services and responses to conflict-related sexual violence; and economic empowerment programs to help women generate income for themselves and their families.

UN Women in Ukraine is committed to collaborating with women’s civil society organizations, partners, donors, and Ukrainian authorities to support women-led organizations and protect the rights of women and girls, whose bravery is crucial to Ukraine's fight for justice and equality. On March 8, we march forward for women’s rights, demanding gender equality, empowerment, and justice for all women and girls.