The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine steps up their concrete commitment
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Ahead of the International Women’s Day, Ukraine’s highest body of state executive power has endorsed a historic initiative to place gender equality at centre of their highest possible level in the Government. This legislative milestone is bringing Ukraine’s compliance to the UN standards aspired in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a Decree assigning Ms. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the Vice Prime Minister on EU and Euro-Atlantic Integration with the functions and responsibilities for coordination of the state gender equality policy.
Ukraine’s promising measure will enhance comprehensive advancement of gender equality and women’s rights in the country by raising gender priorities to a higher political level of the Cabinet of Ministers and improving accountability, oversight and coordination with all stakeholders.
“International aspect is also crucial here. It will help us implement UN resolution 1325 and Ukraine’s commitments related to the EU Association Agreement,” said Mariia Ionova, a co-chair of Equal Opportunities Inter-Faction Union at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers where the historic decree was adopted.
The next step is for the Cabinet of Ministers to establish the position of the Commissioner on Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men in Ukraine with a respective department.
The upgrade of the national mechanism for gender equality to the level of the Cabinet of Ministers complies with the strategic objectives of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, per which the member states must ensure the strengthening of national mechanisms for gender equality are: “A national machinery for the advancement of women is the central policy coordinating unit inside government. Its main task is to support government-wide mainstreaming of a gender-equality perspective in all policy areas” that the location of the national machineries are “locating at the highest possible level in the Government, falling under the responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers”.
The remarkable milestone was achieved through many months of advocacy with a strong leadership of the Parliamentary Inter-Faction Union for Equal Opportunities and the civil society of Ukraine.
“This is a historic moment for the country and a huge milestone for the implementation of the Ukraine’s commitments on women’s human rights and gender equality,” said Anastasia Divinskaya, UN Women Gender Advisor. “UN Women was very proud to be a part of these advocacy efforts, as well as to support the Cabinet of Ministers with drafting of the legal framework compliant with the Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW and the national legislation of Ukraine.