The Office of the Council of Europe in Ukraine welcomes the approval of the State Social Program for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men by the Government on 11 April 2018. The program is an important step to enhance gender equality in all areas of public life in Ukraine. Additionally, the program foresees to consider a gender component in economic and social development programs, to improve the mechanism of gender legal expertise, to establish a comprehensive system for responding to cases of gender-based discrimination, to expand the sex-disaggregated statistical information, to reduce gender imbalance in areas of state service and management of human resources, as well as to introduce a gender component into program of reforms. All the relevant institutions and actors should be committed, and have the relevant knowledge to effectively implement the program to enhance the equal visibility, empowerment, responsibility and participation of women and men in Ukraine.

The implementation of the program will also contribute to fulfill Ukraine's international commitments on gender equality, such as the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 aims to achieve the effective realization of gender equality and to empower women and men in the member States. The strategy has six objectives:

1. Prevent and combat gender stereotypes and sexism

2. Prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence

3. Ensure the equal access of women to justice

4. Achieve balanced participation of women and men in political and public decision-making

5. Protect the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls

6. Achieve gender mainstreaming in all policies and measures

The Council of Europe Office in Ukraine together with the national authorities will organize a presentation on the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 in May.