Solidarity with Ukrainian women in arms

At the end of 2023, almost two years after the Russian invasion, there were 60,000 women in the Ukrainian armed forces. More than 42,000 of them hold military posts, and 5,000 are on the front line, according to the Ministry of Defence. The Veteranka association defends the rights of these women soldiers, who face not only gender discrimination but also a lack of appropriate provisions and arrangements when they leave the army temporarily or permanently. Facilities for ex-servicewomen often do not meet the specific needs of women, such as mental and physical health care. In addition to the stress of war and combat, a considerable number of female soldiers returning from the front have to cope with the loss of male relatives, the simultaneous displacement of their families and the resulting psychosocial and economic difficulties. They are also exposed to the threat of sexual violence linked to their involvement - for example, when they are captured and held as prisoners of war. Existing services generally do not take into account childcare responsibilities, which are still largely undertaken by women. Veteranka was founded by, among others, Ganna Demydenko, a former volunteer military ambulance driver, and Yuliia Kirillova, a veteran who enlisted after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Veteranka intends to support women soldiers in all these areas. ENSU has decided to respond to this organisation's appeal and support it by contributing to the purchase of an armoured vehicle to evacuate wounded men and women from the front. The cost of this vehicle is estimated at 30,000 euros.

Below you can read a selection of articles on how women have transformed the Ukrainian army, their contribution to the war effort, their fight against gender-based discrimination and sexual violence.

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