Nearly 800 gender advisors serve in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces
A total of 790 gender advisors serve and work within the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Five of them are full-time advisors involved in the strategic management of this area.
The remaining 785 advisors work directly in units and perform these functions in addition to their primary duties.
What gender advisors do in the military
The main tasks of gender advisors include:
- taking measures to prevent and counter discrimination based on sex, sexual harassment, and offenses against sexual freedom;
- ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the military.
In addition, advisors inform personnel about equal rights and ways to counter discrimination and harassment, and provide commanders with recommendations on preventing violations and upholding service members’ rights.
Service members may contact a gender advisor confidentially. A service member has the right to receive a consultation, clarification, or assistance, and any pressure or retaliation related to such contact is prohibited.
Why reporting discrimination and sexual harassment matters
Discrimination based on sex is a restriction on the recognition, exercise, or enjoyment of rights on the grounds of sex, except where such a restriction has a legitimate, justified aim and complies with the law. In a military environment, it can take the form of restricted access to positions, training, or career advancement because of sex, biased treatment based on gender stereotypes, and the like.
Sexual harassment can take the form of unwanted comments, jokes, and innuendo of a sexual nature, intrusive behavior, unwanted touching, or other acts of a sexual nature that violate a person’s personal boundaries.
Reporting such cases makes it possible to record the circumstances, conduct a proper inquiry, take measures to protect the rights of the affected person, and prevent the violations from recurring.
If such cases are not reported, they may recur and negatively affect personnel’s psychological well-being, trust within the team, and the performance of official duties.
How to find the gender advisor in your unit
Information about the gender advisor and the procedure for contacting them must be communicated to all personnel in the military unit.
If a service member does not know who performs these functions in their unit, they can contact their immediate commander or call the unit’s hotline to get the advisor’s contact details.
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine previously provided a detailed explanation of the military’s gender equality policy and the mechanisms for protecting rights available under current legislation.
