Natalia Karbowska / Sep 2025
Photo: Shutterstock
Recently launched, Ukraine’s Gender Equality Index reveals patterns that are also evident in everyday life during wartime. Across the country, women are taking on new roles in business, civic life, and the military. These examples show how leadership emerges through responsibility, even in male-dominated fields.
Ukraine has presented its first Gender Equality Index (GEI), developed by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund using EU methodology and recognized by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). If Ukraine were an EU member, it would place 20th out of 28 countries.
The Index revealed that Ukraine performs comparably to many EU countries, placing mid-range across six domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health. Yet women remain underrepresented in decision-making roles and concentrated in traditionally “feminine” sectors. Civic engagement is exceptionally high; 57.7% of women and 54.4% of men report regular volunteer or charitable activity.
The Index highlights long-standing gender, but also confirms new leadership roles taken on by women during wartime. Across frontline regions, businesses, and the military, women are assuming responsibilities that challenge traditional expectations and show growing civic and economic contributions to Ukraine’s resilience.
Running a business at the front line
In frontline regions, women are keeping businesses and communities running despite challenges. Kateryna Bosenko, an entrepreneur from Mykolaivka in Sumy Oblast, took charge of a freight and passenger transportation business. In a region close to the front line, she not only kept it going, but expanded it, learning to drive trucks herself, managing logistics and contracts while caring for her infant daughter.
“At first, I had no choice; it was about survival. I had a baby to feed and no one to leave her with, so I brought her to meetings and the tax office. It was exhausting,” Bosenko recalls. “The hardest part was not the work itself but being treated like I did not belong in this male-dominated sector. Men would laugh, make comments, even take videos of me repairing trucks. But I kept going. Now I have nearly all driving license categories open. Men are surprised, but that turns into respect. If you prove you are serious, people take you seriously.”
Her business now contributes to the local budget and provides jobs in a region where many entrepreneurs have closed or relocated. To women who hesitate to take leadership roles in “unfeminine” fields, Bosenko advises not to pay attention to men who make fun of them. “Leadership is about responsibility. If a woman leads with confidence and care, people start to follow her. That is how real change begins.”
Entrepreneurship as a way to build a community
After relocating from a conflict-affected region, some women are rebuilding their lives in new communities across western Ukraine. Tetiana Vakulych, co-founder of the handmade leather brand WellBags, relocated from Donetsk to Vinnytsia in 2014 and started her business from scratch. With early support from the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, she scaled production and began mentoring other women.
“When you start with nothing in a new city, the first thing you build is belief in yourself and your work. We did not have much money or experience, but we had ideas and determination. Every problem we solved added to that sense of independence,” Vakulych says.
She believes entrepreneurship offers more than income. “Freedom of action is what business gives you. It teaches you how to move forward, manage resources, and solve problems on your terms. It is not easy, especially in industries where women still are not seen as serious players, but that perception changes when you show results.”
Strength on the battlefield
Others have taken new roles directly supporting Ukraine’s defense. Mariia left government service and joined the Armed Forces after the full-scale invasion in 2022. Now a sergeant, she serves in the tactical medicine unit, bringing both operational skill and a sense of purpose to her role.
“I did not plan to become a soldier. But when the war started, I saw I could help with my ability to organize, manage, and learn quickly. I joined the Territorial Defense unit first, then trained in tactical medicine. Now it is my profession,” says Mariia.
She notes that while the military reflects societal biases, professionalism is what ultimately matters. “No one asked me about my gender when I was treating a wounded soldier. What mattered was whether I could do the job. Still, the army is a mirror of society, where gender stereotypes exist in subtle ways. We need to break them from the ground up, starting with how we raise our children.”
