The Gender Theme Group Meeting chaired by UNFPA Representative Ms. Nuzhat Ehsan was held in the UN House.

Participants included UN agencies, NGOs, gender experts and representatives of the Government working in the area of promoting gender equality and human rights in Ukraine.

The Gender Theme Group provides platform for accessing, exchanging and sharing information, insights and experiences on the topic and related policies in Ukraine.

Ms. Iryna Bekeshkina, the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation Director, briefed the audience on the latest social polls on the current political situation in Ukraine and in Kyiv with regard to the role of women in crisis situations.

During the meeting, the participants received the updates from Ms. Larysa Kobelyanska, recently appointed Director of the Department for Gender Policy, Counter-Trafficking in Persons and Protection of Deportees’ Rights of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, on the activities of the Department aimed at promoting gender equality, empowering communities and transforming cooperation with them to create foundation for gender responsive development. Ms. Kobelyanska informed the audience on the resumption of the Inter-Ministerial Gender Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and of the upcoming Council meeting to be held at the end of February.

UNFPA National Consultant Ms. Nadiya Komarova provided the participants with the updates on preparation of the VIII National report to the Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The next Gender Theme Group meeting is to take place in April 2014.