Women are the backbone of the Ukrainian War Economy, but what will their post-conflict role be?
Women are the backbone of the Ukrainian War Economy, but what will their post-conflict role be?
Ukraine's War has altered the standing of gender in its society: will it hold?
Written by Jamilla Smith-Joseph
Women have always played a more important role within conflicts, and war economies, than initially meets the eye. This is particularly evident over the past century. The factory girls of the First and Second World War spring to mind, which later contributed to the furthering of women’s suffrage, and rights for women generally.
The ways in which Ukrainian women have adapted to these unprecedented circumstances has remained relatively unexplored. There has been reporting on the topic, as evidenced below, but it is questionable how reflective this is of the focus given to it by Ukraine, its government and business. Naturally, the primary concerns for Ukraine are the challenges of here and now: but while the war machine marches on, questions for what comes after for Ukraine persist, which very much need present and immediate answers. Is the female workforce the answer?
May 2023 figures indicate Ukraine’s population was at approximately 29 million, only nine million of whom were recorded to be in employment. Outside of public sector roles, this constitutes a labour force of six-seven million who economically support the vulnerable, unemployed and public sector populations. Notwithstanding those who have left Ukraine: at the time of the invasion, approximately 4.8 million jobs were lost, with unemployment in October 2023 said to be at 18.4%; a vast improvement on the 30% of spring 2020, but still soaring above averages prior to the conflict. Nonetheless, Ukrainian women have risen to the challenge, in business and industry, from humanitarian volunteers and medical practitioners on the frontline, even in the military itself.
Other than conscripted soldiers, around 17% of Ukrainians have changed jobs since the start of the war; as the need for more men on the frontline is ever-constant, so is the need for “workers in sectors traditionally dominated by men”. Given the number of men needed on the frontlines, it is not surprising that traditionally male-dominated industries are the most at-risk of collapse.
Consequently, an increasing number of women are working in traditionally male-dominated sectors, including construction and mining, and more recently steel plants. This helps to resolve a threefold issue: the company continues to survive, sustained output eases some tension on the Ukrainian economy, and production of essential components for the war effort, such as steel for protecting energy production sites.
Given also the exponential drive and progress in women’s rights over the past century, it would not be unreasonable to assume that women’s roles within the war economies of today would be more than, or at least equal to, the aforementioned historical examples. The obvious example is within the military itself, where traditionally women have not been allowed to serve on the frontline, if included at all. As of November 2023, there are 43,000 women in the Ukrainian armed forces, 5,000 of which are serving in combat roles; many of whom are thought to have joined since the onset of the war.
Ironically, Ukraine in recent years has not been the most progressive on gender parity in the workplace: the number of “women in the labour force” had indeed fallen from 54% in 1990 to 48% in 2022. It was only in 2018 that Ukrainian women serving in its armed forces were given the same rights as their male counterparts. It was only unprecedented changes made to labour laws just after the invasion that enabled women to work in sectors historically restricted to men.
Despite this, within Ukraine itself, just over half of the 36,000 small- and medium-size registered companies are female-led. In the first months of 2023, 18,776 of the 36,892 private businesses started in Ukraine were led by women; astounding given that in 2020, men outnumbered women in the workplace. Ukraine’s emerging tech sector in particular has seen growth/development, where more women have taken on leadership roles, leading to contacts and experience which could later aid Ukraine’s economic recovery.
Comprising almost 5% of Ukrainian GDP, the sector’s resilience has proved crucial for the economy. Indeed, the Ukrainian firms which employ more women have proved themselves to be more profitable, as well as more environmentally-concerned. Many Ukrainians envision returning, with their business, as part of rebuilding efforts. Logically then, the more women involved in business, particularly tech, the more successful rebuilding efforts will be.
There is some hope among Ukrainian women that the men will return to their old jobs after the conflict. However, according to Ukraine’s economy minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, the prevalence of women in the labour market is only set to strengthen, upon post-war reconstruction. This is also set to be true for a range of professions. For example, physical and mental medical professionals will be required for veterans; it is highly likely that women will comprise the majority of “care-givers”. Furthermore, the energy, transport and defence sectors are only expected to increase exponentially post-conflict, which are expected to attract more women.
It goes without saying that the vast number of Ukrainian refugees (many of whom are female) has left a black hole in Ukraine’s economy since 2022. Prior even to the conflict there were labour shortages within Ukraine; only intensified by the six million refugees since the initial invasion. Without these 2.8 million women, Ukraine could lose up to 10% of its annual prewar GDP (2023); furthermore, the longer the war persists, the longer these women remain outside of Ukraine, the smaller the chance they will return.
As the Kyivpost argues, it is critical that women are placed at the centre of post-war economic revival plans, in order to encourage long-term economic reconstruction. The answer is more investment in and training of Ukrainian women, which requires more funding and support from Western business and institutions – for example, for the spaces in emerging vital sectors. While the West may be beginning to feel ‘war fatigue’, Western business should understand that this is the long-term start move, both for Ukrainian, but also Western, business and security.
Naturally, within the current circumstances, sourcing reliable data is challenging; yet there is clear evidence that women have been keeping Ukraine’s struggling economy alive. Despite initial persistence of some outdated stereotypes and views, countered and challenged by billboards for example, it has become largely accepted that women will need to continue to play a pivotal role in all sectors of Ukraine’s economy, long after the war is over. However, it is an “open secret” that the gender pay-gap continues to persist throughout the war: indeed 2021 data suggests that women work every fifth day for free, earning 79.3% of men’s wages.
Traditional gender imbalances in the STEM fields were also reported, however this may have since improved. It has been suggested that much more will need to be done in combatting these gender biases for working women in order to help fully revitalise the Ukrainian economy: international knowledge and support and social/community-centred businesses are suggested to best tackle Ukraine’s economic challenges.
Of course, conclusions which encompass the perspective of every woman within and outside of Ukraine are difficult to draw. Furthermore, it is difficult to determine whether the Ukrainian government and businesses are doing enough to incorporate women into the active economy: for the survival of the economy in the present, the existence of businesses in the future, and for the lives of Ukrainian women across the board. In terms of today’s labour market, if the Ukrainian military hopes to recruit 500,000 (more) men for the conflict, perhaps more long-term sustainable solutions will be needed. Ukrainian women have been far from shy in coming forward to the job market, but as the war continues, nothing is for certain, and this figure could well stagnate. Ukrainian business and government should not rest on its laurels, and make sure it is doing all it can to employ and retain women in crucial sectors.
Looking to the future, the international community should be more actively collaborating with Ukrainian businesswomen to pre-emptively prepare for the future. Women at the centre of a transformed economic and employment landscape are vital to meet the targets of four and a half million more workers – the amount estimated in order to revive the Ukrainian economic market. At this point in time, Ukraine faces many challenges, and has many considerations to balance. How much it focuses on the intersection between Ukrainian women and the economy may well determine its future.
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