Feminist approach as the basis of fair reconstruction of Ukraine

Issues related to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine are of great interest both within the state and abroad. Among other things, experts discuss the possibility that the fundamental flaws of the recovery program chosen today may lead to the establishment of injustice in society and the strengthening of existing inequalities. After all, an excessive focus on economic liberalization creates a risk of neglecting the interests of women and other vulnerable categories of individuals.

Such concerns are raised by feminist researchers in the policy brief  "Build Back Better for Everyone – a Feminist Perspective on the Reconstruction and Recovery of Ukraine" (2024). It was prepared by Nataliia Lomonosova and Anna Provan’ in co-authorship with such experts as Oksana Potapova, Yulia Yurchenko, Nina Bernarding and Aigerim Seitenova. The basis for the research was the materials of the seminars held in 2023, organized by representatives of the Center for Feminist Foreign Policy (CFFP) in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).

In this policy brief, through the prism of intersectional feminism, the current approach in planning the future economic recovery of Ukraine following the war is criticized. What is more, a set of guiding principles and recommendations to ensure that Ukraine’s recovery will be based on the value of justice and will serve sustainable peace are proposed. It outlines the fundamental importance of maintaining the inclusion of all groups of Ukrainian society in discussing and planning the potential routes of recovery and preserving the agency of Ukrainians over defining their own future.

As the researchers emphasize, the feminist vision should be presented at the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin in 2024. Guidelines outlined by experts, as well as specific recommendations regarding inclusive policy, financial support, and social and labor relations, definitely deserve to be taken into account when making decisions.