“Women are increasingly present in political decision-making bodies, and we are proud of the progress we are making. However, women face major obstacles to enter politics and conduct their work safely and professionally due to sexism, violence, negative attitudes and stereotypes” noted Jelena Drenjanin, Congress Spokesperson on Gender Equality, on the occasion of the launch of the online course on “Gender Mainstreaming at Local Level in Ukraine” on 11 December 2020. Speaking in the panel discussion on gender equality at local level and the need for better understanding and awareness, she stressed that “Overcoming gender inequality and gender-based discrimination is like a dripping of water, that makes the hole in the stone. And we will make this change together”.
The e-course on "Gender Mainstreaming at Local Level in Ukraine” focuses on understanding gender issues in our communities and presenting strategies and good practices that local authorities and their national association can implement to advance gender equality.
Andreas Kiefer, acting Secretary General of the Congress, underlined that promoting a gender perspective in local political action, and equal opportunities for women and men to participate in local political life is central to the protection of human rights and the functioning of democracy. “Making gender equality a reality in your municipalities is about changing mindsets and reaching out to all citizens. Only then we can ensure democratic sustainability and resilience in our communities”.
“The recent local elections in Ukraine are yielding positive results, as the number of women elected increased we need to respond to the demand for new knowledge and skills of local elected representatives in 911 communicates, members of the AUC” pointed out Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities.
Representatives of local authorities from Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Zaporizhya regions shared their opinions on the importance of such trainings and awareness raising activities to overcome discrimination and sexism in local politics thus to develop sustainable practice of equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
This e-course was elaborated in partnership with the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC) and the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS) as part of the project "Strengthening democracy and building trust at local level in Ukraine”, implemented by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018‑2021. The project aims to improve the quality of local democracy in Ukraine by strengthening institutional frameworks and by supporting local authorities and their national associations in their efforts to promote ethical decision-making and more citizen-oriented, inclusive and transparent local governance
- One pager of the online course on "Gender Mainstreaming at Local Level in Ukraine” [English I Ukrainian]
- News published by the Association of Ukrainian Cities [in Ukrainian only]
