Ukraine’s Armed Forces push for gender equality with new adviser appointment

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have appointed a gender adviser to develop and implement a “comprehensive strategy” to promote gender equality within the military.

The announcement was made by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army via its official Telegram channel, Caliber.Az reports referring to Ukrainian media.

The new position has been created to facilitate coordination between different branches of the military and the Ministry of Defence, as well as to ensure the development and execution of a comprehensive gender strategy within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Oksana Grigorieva, a public activist and former gender adviser to the AFU Ground Forces Command, has been appointed to the role. In her previous role, Grigorieva made headlines by advocating for Ukrainian women to serve in the army and prepare for combat operations. She called the exemption of women from military service a “outdated approach” that needs to be phased out.

The General Staff noted that implementing gender policy within the Ukrainian Armed Forces is an essential step for Ukraine's progress toward joining the European Union and NATO. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has previously stated that it plans to adopt practices from its Western allies to combat stereotypes about women in leadership positions. 

The ministry aims to increase the number of women in key roles, including unit commanders, and address barriers to their promotion. To achieve this, the Defence Ministry plans to train around 200 gender advisers and implement gender-sensitive language across the military.

In recent years, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have reported an increase in the number of female service members. As of last June, over 67,000 women were serving in the military, with only 19,000 holding civilian roles. With a current shortage of personnel, the Ukrainian government has actively promoted voluntary service for women and is encouraging young women to undergo basic military training.

By Tamilla Hasanova