On 29 November, a practical conference, "Implementation of the Strategy for Gender Equality in Education by 2030: Moving Forward," was held in Kyiv with the participation of First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. The event aimed to assess and strengthen the implementation of the Strategy for Gender Equality in Education in Ukraine.

The event was conducted with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy, with the support of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine and the Embassy of Sweden. Educators also attended the conference, including the leadership of regional and city departments/divisions of education and science, NGOs, and representatives of international and donor organisations.

The practical conference was aimed primarily at reviewing and strengthening progress in implementing the Strategy through the presentation of national prospective gender-sensitive educational practices and relevant foreign experience, as well as through direct dialogue with the authorities and educational influencers.

“We have to admit that our society still does not understand very well what gender is and why gender equality is important for everyone. People may say about this event that it is something about women. But we always have to patiently correct them: no, it's not just about women. It's about us. It's about all of us. About each and every person. About your sons and daughters. About their future. Because it is about equality in general. Equality in opportunities and self-realisation. Without any coercion. That is why our conversation today is so important. Because this is not even a legislative problem. It is a worldview issue,” emphasised First Lady Olena Zelenska.

The event's main focus was to send a powerful political signal about the importance of concrete practical steps by educational institutions to implement the Strategy as part of their daily educational initiatives. In addition, a range of potential tools educational institutions can use to implement the Strategy was discussed.

“Considering that the issue of gender is still hotly debated in our society, we, as a ministry, decided to show by our own example that gender equality is not about slogans, but about necessary policies and important practical steps. These steps make our education more accessible, more modern, the steps that will ensure equal opportunities and maximum development for all participants in the educational process – from students to teaching staff and management of educational institutions,” noted Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

“We should note that courses and topics on gender issues are poorly integrated into the training of professionals in any field, including teachers. There are no bachelor's programmes in gender studies. There are practically no master's programmes. That is why today we have a shortage of specialists in this field. Therefore, the prospect is to introduce such programmes at the faculties of pedagogy, social work, law, and psychology,” underlined Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Policy.

“Collaborating with the government, partners, and civil society, UNFPA has championed gender equality in education. The successful implementation of our strategy is a shared accomplishment. To harness opportunities and overcome challenges, prioritizing gender equality is paramount for developing 'human capital' in Ukraine. Elevating gender aspects within the education system, gathering responsive data, and eliminating bias are pivotal steps in fostering inclusive communities.” – Massimo Diana, Representative of UNFPA.

The conference on the implementation of the Strategy, in particular its current tasks and challenges of implementing gender policy in the modern educational field, was one of the steps to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men in education, prevent and combat any discrimination, implement inclusivity practices as the basis of fundamental rights and priorities in the context of European integration, as well as to overcome the consequences of hostilities and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.