With the EU support, on March 21, the conference "Path to Economic and Demographic Stability of Society: Best Practices of the WE ACT II Project" was held in Kyiv. It was conducted within the framework of the project "WE ACT II: Acting for Women and Their Opportunities," which has been implemented since mid-July 2023. The project aims to support economic capacity of vulnerable women.
"Women empowerment is crucial, and this project provides women in Ukraine with key resources to rebuild their lives and secure a better future for themselves and their families," said Florence Bauer, Regional Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Rémi Duflot, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, noted: "It is important that Ukraine remains resilient not only militarily but also economically. Recovery and reconstruction are impossible without women's empowerment. No talent should go unnoticed, or underused, all the more in today's circumstances. These concepts are at the heart of the European Union: the concept of equality, social justice combined with economic freedom. Women are an important vector of this founding idea and essential actors to achieve its full impact."
Uliana Tokаreva, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine, noted, "Currently, the main mission of the Ministry of Social Policy is to assist Ukrainian families in building their resilience to overcome difficult situations. We aim to provide support tools for people to organize their lives, determine their life path, and fulfill their dreams, and life plans. I am extremely grateful to Ms. Florence and Mr. Rémi for introducing such an inspiring term as "resilience." Indeed, this is one of the key programs that the Ministry of Social Policy is currently working on, shaping the resilience service, providing psychosocial support, and also creating friendly barrier-free spaces where this service can be provided, and others can join in to help individuals cope with any problem in their lives more quickly".
The project operates in the Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Sumy regions and is in high demand. Over 2,200 women have registered for vocational training courses, meaning 3–4 women are vying for one spot in a course. There were also courses for tractor drivers, auto mechanics, and construction professionals, which are currently very relevant and necessary in communities. After successful training, each graduate receives a starter kit to start their own business.
Within the project, 615 women successfully completed training courses. Two months after completing the training, a survey was conducted among the project's graduates regarding the change in the financial situation of women. According to the survey, 55 percent of women saw an increase in income, and 94 percent continued to work in the profession they trained for.
Further details: The "WE ACT II: Acting for Women and Their Opportunities" project is an extension of the 20-month "WE ACT" program aimed at strengthening the capacity of local organizations to combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality in Ukraine. This initiative is implemented by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, with financial support from the European Union. "WE ACT II" is a 15-month project focused on expanding the economic opportunities of vulnerable women, with a particular emphasis on those residing in remote areas.
