Women are saving Ukraine’s wartime economy

Who clocks in at work when over 880,000 people leave their jobs to join the Ukrainian armed forces? The answer is women.

Over the past two years, women have filled the gaps in the civilian workforce in Ukraine, stepping into traditionally male-dominated jobs. They have become farmers, factory workers, truck drivers, and miners – and, even after the war ends, they have no intention of stopping.

Ukraine has been on an upward trajectory with gender equality for years, but, before the war, there was still significant progress to be made.

Gender stereotypes and stigma around women’s ability to do physical labour prevented them from fully participating in the workforce. In fact, until 2017, women were banned from holding jobs deemed "harmful" to their reproductive health, such as carpentry, firefighting, and train conducting.

Many were relegated to unpaid care work, and those with formal jobs were concentrated in low-paying sectors. Women earned 23% less than men and held only 23% of management positions. All in all, their economic stability was largely dependent on the men in their lives.

More than a temporary wartime reality

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced a shift in these dynamics. In the past two years, the population has dropped by 8 million, and over 1 million people have enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces, the vast majority of whom have been men (as of the start of 2024, less than around 70 thousand service members in the Ukrainian armed forces were women).

Moreover, the country has a fertility rate of just – on par with South Korea and higher than only Hong Kong – and an ageing population (over 22% are over 65, placing Ukraine among the oldest countries in the world).

This drastically changed the demographic makeup of many Ukrainian towns. In fact, recently, a project coordinator in a city outside of Dnipro shared that her town only had 11 men left, all of whom were older.

These shifts in the country’s demographics, and consequently its labour force, prompted employers to start hiring women in male-dominated sectors, such as agriculture and construction.

For women, this reflected more than a temporary wartime reality but the potential for a broader transformation of their roles in Ukraine’s economy and society. Now, they are seizing the opportunity to pursue their own ambitions.

During a focus group for one of UNFPA's job training programmes, a female participant summarized this shift in mindset: “Now that we're in this space, we're not letting go.”

History, however, offers a cautionary tale. While World War II saw women's participation in the U.S. workforce surge from 28% to over 34% — the largest proportional rise in female labour during the 20th century — these gains proved fleeting.

By the end of the decade, half of these women had left the workforce. The women of Ukraine are determined to defy history and remain a vital part of the workforce.

Equality at the heart of recovery

To make that happen, gender equality must be at the heart of Ukraine’s long-term recovery. This means acknowledging the country's new demographic reality and ensuring that women, who have stepped up in unprecedented ways, are supported in maintaining their economic roles.

The government must implement mechanisms that enforce the adoption of inclusive workplace policies, like maternity leave and childcare support—being sure to recognize the existing care work already being done. In the region, women spend more than double the amount of time on unpaid care work than men, and it's the biggest barrier women cite for not entering the workforce or leaving early.

At the same time, the international community must support the Ukrainian government in ensuring all recovery initiatives, from agricultural aid to post-conflict reconstruction, incorporate gender considerations.

This includes allocating resources to further develop the skill sets of women who have entered these sectors. By supporting job training programs in manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and IT, we can equip women with in-demand skills to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery and economic future.

We’re already seeing the impact of job training programs on the ground. Take the example of Oksana Batiy in Sumy, an industrial city in northern Ukraine that has been hard-hit by the ongoing war. She is currently enrolled in an auto mechanic training course.

"I want to learn this profession not just as a temporary job but as a new career path," she says. "With many men away fighting, someone needs to keep things running. I want to be useful to my community."

In the agricultural sector, women have become key players, allowing Ukraine to sustain its identity as the breadbasket of Europe.

Yuliya Teslia, an internally displaced woman originally from Kherson, learned to drive at the age of 12 and is now applying her skills in the field. "A lot of men are wounded, and we lack [tractor] operators," she explains. "I'm not afraid of hard work; I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, and now I’m just doing it in a different setting."

These developments are addressing a critical consequence of the war: the severe financial hardship faced by Ukrainian women. The war in Ukraine has had a devastating economic impact, particularly on women.

Dreaming of tomorrow's country

As of the start of the year, over 4 million Ukrainians were internally displaced, and unemployment was widespread. Among those who had jobs before the war, women were far more likely to face extreme financial insecurity than men (23% compared to 14%).

Female-headed households have reported lower monthly household incomes compared to male-headed households, as many of these women rely on unstable income sources while facing extreme needs as a result of displacement.

The women in Ukraine have suffered bitterly in this war, and yet they dream of tomorrow’s country – one in which their daughters are accepted and welcomed into the workforce.

They never forget that there will be a day after the war. And when it comes, let’s make sure women stay in the driver’s seat.

Massimo Diana serves as Ukraine Representative for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).