Occupation, emigration, and the constant risk of missile strikes have not stopped Ukrainian feminist activism. On the contrary, the full-scale invasion only emphasized and exacerbated the problems already existing in society. And the response was immediate. Some feminists took up arms, volunteer and humanitarian activities replaced street activism, and science and art primarily became a platform to educate the world about the war and Ukraine.
Since the spring of 2022 and until the winter of 2023, NGO Feminist Workshop has been collecting reflections of Ukrainian women from various sectors in the podcast ‘Feminists on War.’ So, what has changed in the Ukrainian feminist perspective following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine? What new challenges are we facing as a society?
No emphasis on victimhood
One of the first challenges since the invasion began was the sexual violence committed by the Russian occupiers against Ukrainian women.
It resulted in depictions of Ukrainian women in the media, particularly Western media, exclusively as victims, deprived of agency. In the first months, the focus was on violence survivors and refugee women.
“Usually, in the conditions of a patriarchal worldview in the context of war, women are often perceived primarily as survivors, victims, or as those who are supposed to be protected. Obviously, this poses a challenge to the discourse of gender equality.
The images of women in the military are also quite flawed these days: they are typically confounded with quite traditional, conventional ideas of femininity — in the pictures of the ‘keeper of the hearth’ or sexualized, glamorized images of women in the military,” says sociologist Olena Strelnyk.
Historian and gender researcher Marta Havryshko adds that these images were even more homogeneous in the Western media and focused on victimhood. The purpose, she says, is probably evoking sympathy for Ukraine.
This has increased the burden on Ukrainian feminists — to be even more actively represented on global platforms, to give voices to women, to work for visibility in new conditions — during the war, traditionally considered a ‘men’s realm.’
Of course, they also were forced to explain how fighting off the aggressor fits into the feminist perspective. Why is a war of liberation and defense during an attempted forcible capture different from a war of aggression?
“It has been very disappointing for me that the international feminist community, so to speak (which is actually often the Western community) remains focused on a very theoretical concept of non-violent resistance. Why are feminists in Ukraine advocating the supply of weapons to Ukraine? Because it is our right to resist — the basic feminist right to defend ourselves. When an attacker uses violence, you have no choice but to defend yourself with force,” says composer Anna Khvyl.
This work on explaining to the world why not all theory works in practice has also become part of the current perspective.
“That’s a critical aspect of theoretical feminism — it has lost practical application. The war has shown how much neoliberal practices have permeated all theories, even radical ones. We have seen it with the left and the queer in numerous places. If we discuss feminism as a practice of actions and gestures, it is an essential task — to explain why ‘cancel Russia’ or ‘cancel Russian culture’ is not about discrimination. And why ‘Give us weapons’ is not aggression or violence on our part,” adds artist Oksana Kazmina.
When discussing war as a patriarchal concept, it should be clarified which war is being described, whether it is a war of liberation or a war of aggression, says artist Alevtyna Kakhidze.
“I have a drawing depicting two wars: one of aggression and the other of liberation. For us, this war is a war of liberation. Both women and men suffer during defense and liberation. We do not see Russian women in the Russian army. There is none. We are attacked by men. There are many women in the Ukrainian army. Both men and women die on our side,”she says.
Women at war are everywhere
As early as 2015, the advocacy and human rights public project about Ukrainian servicewomen “Invisible Battalion” started a conversation about women’s rights in the army. With the full-scale war, this issue became even more acute since there are about 57,000 servicewomen in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We saw even more vividly how stereotypes and prejudices hinder women in the army and military correspondents from doing their jobs.
“A prejudiced attitude towards women is not only about the army but our society in general. People carry this mindset from society, not just from the army. We are working to change this attitude,” says Anna Ivantsyk, military medic of the King Danylo 24th brigade.
With the increasing number of women in the army, the need for suitable uniforms, underwear, and hygiene products has gained wider recognition. Providing humanitarian aid to women in the army and women affected by war in various ways has become a focal point for many women’s NGOs. They include Bilkis, Sphere, and Feminist Workshop.
War correspondent Iryna Sampan stresses that there is still a long way to go before women at war are perceived as professionals.
“When I arrive at the front line, I must build trust… I have to prove every time that I’m here on business that I’m not afraid that I don’t need to be babied, I don’t need any special conditions, and I don’t need a bathroom with a real toilet. And all of that is followed by my actual work. It takes up energy, and it’s exhausting,” she says.
Even before the full-scale invasion, the fight against sexism and gender prejudice was a visible focus in the activity of feminist organizations. However, the war gave them considerable impetus.
“War is bad but has always catalyzed rapid, breakthrough changes. I’m not idealizing the Israeli experience in general, but I still like the idea of the general draft for the entire population. If we want to survive with Russia next door, we must seize every opportunity,” believes military paramedic Anastasiia Vinslavska.
Risks of radicalization and setbacks in post-war Ukraine
As all the speakers of the Feminists on War podcast agree, if we are moving away from Russia and towards a democratic, inclusive society, gender issues should be high on the agenda. They are concerned, however, that not everyone in Ukrainian society shares the same opinion.
“Historically, we have seen in many wars how women took on various responsibilities and roles during the war. But as soon as the war ended, they were pushed back into reproductive function and forced to relinquish the positions they had gained in society,” worries human rights advocate Marta Chumalo.
Activist and author of the (Un)Employed zine Nata also speaks about the risk of increasing reproductive pressure.
“I am scared of a conservative turn. What if people’s reproductive rights are restricted, everyone gets weapons… and we will have to emigrate not because of missile attacks or potential occupation, but because life in Ukraine will become even harder,” she worries.
Bries, an activist of the FemSolution feminist initiative and Social Movement NGO, also has concerns about the potential ban on abortions in post-war Ukraine. However, all the speakers point out that conservative movements are gaining new momentum worldwide. Therefore, this is a challenge for all feminists, not only Ukrainian ones.
On the other hand, Ukraine’s status as an EU candidate is considered a safeguard against a setback in human rights and gender equality.
“The sudden ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which we had been waiting for since 2011, shows that the political influence of anti-gender movements will decrease, with the political will becoming primarily aligned with the receipt of EU candidate status,” says Olena Strelnyk.
She adds that, in fact, any crises and wars almost always lead to a deterioration in women, especially groups that are vulnerable on a structural level.
Lawyer Viktoriia Karpa emphasizes that while the Istanbul Convention has been ratified, there is still a long way to go.
“We still do not have an understanding of the specifics of considering this category of cases. There is no standard for the pre-trial investigation. We need to change our approach to proof entirely. In my opinion, there are numerous changes ahead of us. And this applies not only to amendments to codes but also to bylaws,” emphasizes Viktoriia Karpa.
Marta Chumalo, co-founder and psychologist of the Women’s Perspectives Center, emphasizes that due to the refocusing of the human rights system during the invasion, access to remedies for women who have suffered from violence has significantly deteriorated.
“Women and their experience are seen as a resource for proving the crimes of the Russian military. Rarely have I observed a fair attitude towards women’s experience, especially from the state. We have a ‘hunt,’ a ‘safari’ for live victims, for those who work with them, coercion to testify, an appeal to doctors who must attest that a woman sought their help. And this, from my point of view, is a terrible situation that retraumatizes women. The system is doing everything to ensure that a woman with this experience will hide rather than seek help,” emphasizes Marta Chumalo.
The way to a better future
But in addition to challenges, the enormous stress of the full-scale war also brings development opportunities.
“I clearly feel that Ukrainian feminism is becoming something separate, not relying on the authority of Western or, God forbid, Russian feminism,” believes standup comedian Anna Kochehura.
Her stage partner, standup comedian Nastia Zukhvala, also believes that women’s voices in this war are noticeable, and that’s important.
“The role of women in this fight is evident. It can be seen directly on the battlefield, in the volunteer movements, in medical initiatives — everywhere. It seems that this should expand the boundaries a little in society as a whole. I don’t believe everyone will wake up with a different mindset tomorrow. But we see the range of how different people can be. We see how women take on a variety of roles. We have a strong argument in the form of women’s contribution and experience in this war. This is something we can rely on,” says Nastia Zukhvala.
All the artists, scientists, and activists — the feminists on the Feminists on War podcast — agree that despite the dire challenges faced by Ukrainian women due to the invasion by the Russian occupiers, women’s voices are getting louder now. And we should all work to ensure that women’s rights in Ukraine remain a critical priority for our future development.
The views of the author do not necessarily reflect the position of the members of the organisation.