Currently, more than 67,000 women serve in the armed forces of Ukraine, most of them military personnel, Ukrinform reported, citing Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Natalia Kalmykova.
“We currently have more than 67,000 women in the armed forces, of which 19,000 are workers, and the rest are servicemen,” Kalmikova said this week.
According to her, the number of women in the army began to increase from 2014, and after February 24, 2022, this dynamic accelerated despite the fact that the mobilization of women in Ukraine was not carried out.
Kalmikova also noted that today women are increasingly choosing professions in the army that are not considered feminine by default. They show a desire to shoot, operate artillery systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc.
“In 2018, the legislation was changed and women were given the right to hold positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, unfortunately, we still have a problem with encouraging and encouraging women. We are currently looking for ways to solve this problem in order to women who want to build a career in the Armed Forces can have that opportunity,” she added.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the number of women in Ukraine‘s armed forces increased by 40%. As of the beginning of 2024, the total number of women working and serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is over 62,000, including 45,587 servicemen.
Illustrative Photo by Yaroslava Malkova: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-ukraine-flag-on-anti-war-demonstration-11645587/
