UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, and the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, provided a national communication campaign #CVIDOMI: to rebuild the country to help young people choose a career path.
According to a UNFPA 2020 study, 56% of respondents believe there are gender-specific professions, while 21% of parents force their children to choose a profession based on gender. STEM specialties, agro-industry, architecture, and construction are considered professions for men, while education, pedagogy, and art are considered jobs for women.
#CVIDOMI: to rebuild the country is a communication campaign to help Ukrainian teenagers reject gender and professional orientation stereotypes and build a dream career to rebuild the country. The campaign is designed to help girls, and boys overcome barriers in choosing education, such as insecurity, parent pressure, and perception of certain professions as unprestigious or "unsuitable" for girls or boys.
"Today, we are witnessing the enormous power and potential of our youth, who are agents of change, architects of the recovery of Ukraine in the coming years. Recovery is not only about physical infrastructure but also about our values, aspirations, and dreams. This is an opportunity to create a society that breaks down stereotypes and empowers girls and boys to succeed in all fields, especially those that require STEM expertise. Together, we can lay the foundation for a future where talent knows no borders, and gender will never be a limitation," - commented Mustafa Elkanzi, Deputy Representative of UNFPA in Ukraine.
Inspired representatives of various professions, well-known HR specialists, and experts on gender equality joined the campaign.
The campaign includes inspirational videos and podcasts with representatives of various professions, useful articles and quizzes for school leavers, and networking events. There are such digital products as the video project about the professions of the country's reconstructionists and the podcast "Naukovi Tereveni". The all-Ukrainian scientific hackathon became an offline component of the campaign.
Video project "10 professions for rebuilding the future"
The project is about 10 professions of rebuilders of the country, which can be mastered not only based on higher educational institutions but also in vocational institutions after the 9th grade.
Representatives of the relevant profession discuss their work and career path in each issue. They introduce the work process and advise where adolescents can start their conscious choice of specialty.
In addition, the heroes and heroines of the project break stereotypes and gender prejudices about the so-called "male" and "female" professions and demonstrate with their stories that everyone can start a path in the field that young people like.
Videos are here
The podcast "Naukovi Tereveni"
Career guidance audio podcast with 10 female scientists and innovators who have successful careers in STEM fields. That is, in natural sciences, engineering, technology, and mathematics.
In the first season, the podcast host - Tiktok blogger and teacher Vova Korenev talks with the protagonists of the podcast about the development of science and innovation in Ukraine during the war and the conscious choice of a STEM profession without stereotypes.
The podcast is here
Hackathon #CVIDOMI: to rebuild the country
This is an initiative for Ukrainian adolescents, where they presented innovative projects for the future reconstruction of Ukraine. Hackathon has 5 categories - ecology, medicine, technology and engineering, education, and agriculture.
The hackathon rallied pupils of grades 8-11 from all over the country around the idea of rebuilding Ukraine. The initiative lasted in a mixed format from June 5 to 17 in two stages: online preparation of team solutions and an offline final with the presentation of ideas. During this time, adolescents developed their projects with the support of team mentors. Also, they participated in open online lectures on choosing a dream profession and implementing their startups with invited hackathon experts.
15 teams made it to the hackathon finals - 65 adolescents from different cities, including IDPs from Bakhmut, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and those who temporarily live abroad.
The teams presented their ideas to the jury, and the latter chose the winner. Among the members of the jury were representatives of relevant ministries, Ukrainian businesses in the fields of medicine and agriculture, as well as scientists.
The campaign #CVIDOMI: to rebuild the country underlines the importance of relevant skills needed in today's labor market, regardless of gender, and a conscious choice of profession to rebuild the country.
