She is originally from the Dnipro region and lives in Kryvyi Rih, but her team often works in other areas, including the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. “Each area has its own story, its own painful past, but we all share one goal — to make these places safe again,” she says.
When the war started, her father enlisted and was seriously wounded. “Around that time, the State Emergency Service began expanding its demining departments, and I decided to join them. I felt that I had to be useful — to help our people and serve my country.”
She initially studied within the State Emergency Service and obtained a degree in fire safety. “Later, I retrained at the humanitarian demining center, which at that time was based in the Kharkiv region. After completing my training, I was appointed Head of the Pyrotechnic Operations Unit within the Pyrotechnic Operations, Underwater and Humanitarian Demining Division,” she says.
Her family was very worried at first - it was difficult for them to accept her decision due to the risks. “However, it was hard to stop me – I knew exactly what I wanted. Now they're used to it, but they still worry quietly.”
Despite the job requiring immense mental and physical strength, she felt supported and guided all the time. “Fortunately, I worked with experienced deminers. Thanks to them, I quickly adapted and realized that I had found my place.”
What motivates her most is knowing exactly what she’s working for. “When we clear an area of mines or survey a field upon request, it is important to know that, once our work is done, people will be able to use their land safely. That is what gives us the strength to do our work,” she concludes.
“What seems ‘not a woman's job’ may turn out to be your mission”
Two years ago, Tetiana Rubanka, 35, from Brovary, Kyiv oblast, changed her heels and dress for boots, a uniform, and a detector, and has since dedicated herself to humanitarian demining. Today, she is a deminer and demining team leader at “The HALO Trust,” an international organization working to clear Ukrainian land of mines and unexploded ordnance so that military personnel and civilians can safely return.
“Before I joined ‘The HALO Trust,’ I worked in the soft furnishings industry. I lived a quiet, ordinary life, like many of us. But with the beginning of the war, everything completely changed. I realized that I wanted to be useful to my country here, in the rear, while our defenders are holding the front,” she says.
Motivated by the desire to help, Tetiana Rubanka began her new life path. “The first days at work were very stressful - I was nervous, I was shaking inside. It's a mixture of fear and adrenaline when you're both scared and excited. We studied a lot, and I really wanted to see how it works in practice. Still, the feeling that my work is a real contribution to security was very inspiring,” Rubanka recalls.
After working as a deminer for some time, Tetiana Rubanka trained as a paramedic. “Then I was assigned to a leadership course, and I became the leader of a manual demining team.”
In the summer of 2024, she completed a course for leaders of mechanical demining, passed the exams, and can now lead both manual and mechanical demining teams.
“Currently, I am the head of a team of nine people, with only one woman among them. But overall, about 30 per cent of the staff at HALO Ukraine are women - not only deminers but also women in managerial positions and operating complex equipment. I believe there should be more women in this field. Ukrainian women are extremely strong in spirit,” Rubanka affirms.
Every working morning, she meets her team at the warehouse, loads equipment, and drives to the site. “I assign tasks according to safety methods and standards. I ensure safe distance between deminers, monitor control points, and delegate responsibilities.”
She always conducts a safety briefing and is responsible for filling out maps of the areas where her team works. “When you find the first explosive object, you experience a mix of emotions: fear, adrenaline, and great responsibility. But along with that comes the understanding that this small mine could have caused serious harm - and I found it, so I saved someone's life. This is very motivating,” she confesses.
When asked what message she would share with women considering a career in demining, she says: “Don't be afraid to try something new. Even if at first it seems like it's not for you, sometimes it's those challenges that reveal the true meaning of life. What seems like ‘not a woman's job’ may turn out to be your mission.”
“She Demines” is a capacity-building programme that supports women in Ukraine to enter and advance in mine action (MA). The programme provides women with access to internationally aligned training in key areas of MA, including non-technical survey, demining, medical support, and career development. By the end of 2026, UN Women plans to train 300 women from Ukraine and expand their participation in MA. Launched in 2025, the programme is designed to address the workforce gap in the security sector, including in humanitarian demining, and advance gender equality within the sector.
The programme is implemented by UN Women, the NGO “Ukrainian Deminers Association,” the NGO “Girls,” and BBC Media Action, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine. It is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.