The Government of Ukraine and UN Women stepping up partnership for advancement of gender equality in Ukraine
Date:
On 6 July 2018, the Government of Ukraine and UN Women signed the Host Country Agreement, which elevates the status of UN Women in Ukraine to the Country Office. This will also allow to broaden and deepen the partnership on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Ukraine.
On behalf of Ukraine, the Host Country Agreement was signed by the Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ms. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
“With the adoption of the Host Country Agreement, we count on UN Women’s continuous and expanding support and partnership with the Government of Ukraine in our constant strive for social justice and improving the lives of every women and girl in this country.” - said Ms. Vice-Prime Minister. She added that agreement with the Executive Director of UN Women Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka about the enhancement of status of UN Women's Office in Ukraine have been reached during their last meeting at the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
According to her, over the past year and a half gender equality has been a crosscutting issue for all the Government's activities, since gender equality is a critical factor of economic and social development, as well as the indicator of the State's maturity. For the first time in Ukraine, the Government’s Action Plan focuses on gender priorities. UN Women in Ukraine is one of the main expert supporters and reliable partners of the Government on this path.
Ms. Klympush-Tsintsadze stated that UN Women’s policy and technical guidance and support is invaluable for our Government’s policy, reforms and legislation work towards addressing the intersecting discrimination, which the vulnerable women and girls face on daily basis.
“UN Women has been privileged to be a partner of the Government of Ukraine in its efforts to pursue equality for women and girls in all walks of life. Over the last four years, women and girls of Ukraine have faced hardships on an unprecedented scale in its history as an independent state. The country has also experienced rapid changes in its political, social and economic landscape. Nevertheless, the Government of Ukraine has never used these as an excuse to ignore women’s human rights and empowerment. On the contrary, Ukraine has continuously persuaded implementation of its State obligations on human rights and gender equality. It is exactly during this uneasy period that the Government of Ukraine has stepped up its commitments on women’s human rights and took a complex set of integrated measures to address the inequalities and intersecting discrimination through its reforms, recovery and peacebuilding efforts.” - said Ms. Anastasia Divinskaya.
She reiterated UN Women's readiness to support the Government of Ukraine in strengthening the national mechanism to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men, as well as its role in gender equality implementation and observance of the rights of women and girls. “Please always remember that you are more than welcome to call on us and utilize our expertise and good offices. UN Women is open for serious business as never before, and we mean it.” - added Head of Office of UN Women in Ukraine.
The event, dedicated to the signing of the Host Country Agreement, was also attended by the Member of the Parliament and member of Equal Opportunities Caucus Mariia Ionova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsya, and Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration Oleksandra Churkina.