16. Arm ukrainian women now at NATO

How can we maximise dignity, respect and combat effectiveness for servicewomen on the frontline?

Author

Maria Luísa Moreira
June 18, 2024

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This week the spotlight is on the biggest security threat in Europe: Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Human security has taken centre stage in this war, with the rapid reception of Ukrainian refugees into the EU, the compulsory call-up of civilians to the front lines and the different experiences Ukrainian service-personnel have had over the last two years. Since February 2022, the transatlantic allies have been quick to respond, politically, financially and militarily, and have approved a series of aid packages or capacity-building mechanisms, including the long-awaited authorisation to use NATO weapons against Russia.

It makes no sense to analyse war without giving visibility to the courageous experiences of Ukrainian men and women on the ground, particularly through a perspective of human security and gender equity. In particular, we should be emphasising and defining policies so that Ukrainians (both civilians and military) can navigate and win the war. A significant part of this process consists of rethinking the full participation of women in the armed forces, what this entails and how to do it effectively, which was not always at the top of any Ministry of Defence's concerns for decades. With the adoption of the WPS Agenda in NATO, this has become a top political and military priority, and we now know that these efforts must include adequate equipment to ensure that all service women can work to the best of their ability and to make the defence sector more suitable to their experiences in all member states. Here is a good Ukrainian civil society story that, in my opinion, deserve attention. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦

With special thanks to the US Mission to NATO and the NATO WPS Office for their inputs to this issue. Views are my own and not those of NATO.

Photo courtesy of the Office of the NATO SG Special Representative for WPS.

Follow the The Gender Diplomat, the US Mission to NATO, the NATO WPS SR, and Iryna Nykorak, NGO Founder and MP of Ukraine.

#ArmWomenNow at NATO HQ: How can we maximise dignity, respect and combat effectiveness for servicewomen on the frontline?

About 65,000 women are currently serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which amounts to a 30 percent increase since the war began in 2022. Roughly 45,000 serve as military personnel, and the rest hold civilian positions, according to the Ukrainian MoD. Just over 4,000 are in combat positions.

The New York Times

Applying a gender perspective to the armed forces, and to warfare more broadly, implies assessing how women’s experiences differ from that of men, whether it’s sexism, violence, security, discrimination, or restrictions. There are also more “practical” issues when it comes to women’s experiences: the need for proper equipment and logistics that suit their very specific needs in a way that respects and dignifies their presence in the Armed Forces. Imagine you're a woman, volunteering to fight for your country on the frontline, and you don't have women's uniforms and bulletproof vests at your disposal. This isn't just a question of dignity, it's also a life-saving adaptation to ensure that all Ukrainians serving their country can do so as safely as possible, thus improving combat effectiveness on the ground.

As such, applying a gender perspective to combat gear, using women's anthropometric data, is a step further towards full gender equity in the armed forces. In Ukraine, faced with this gap, civil society organisations have played a key role in ensuring that the presence of Ukrainian women on the front line is dignified in terms of uniforms and equipment appropriate to their bodies. #ArmWomenNow, a social initiative put together by grassroots NGO “Brave Ukraine”, has pioneered precisely the design and production of uniforms, body armour, and other non-lethal military equipment tailored to the specific needs and safety of Ukrainian servicewomen. They have developed their products according to NATO standards and have been delivering them free of charge to thousands of soldiers in the Ukrainian armed forces. This is all the more important as the number of Ukrainian women serving in combat continues to rise as the Russian invasion drags on.

Photo courtesy of the Office of the NATO SG Special Representative for WPS.

NATO has long stood by Ukrainian men and women’s side by ensuring not just that they get all the aid they need, but also by applying a human security lens to its political and military engagements towards Ukraine. In this process, the Alliance has also ensured that both a gender perspective and the WPS Agenda are fully and effectively integrated across NATO’s policies and operations as key guiding principles. As such, following NATO’s commitment towards this agenda and women’s participation, the NATO Special Representative for WPS, Irene Fellin, the US Ambassador to NATO, Ambassador Julianne Smith, and the founder of #ArmWomenNow and member of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada, Iryna Nykorak, recently spoke at the opening event of a new NATO exhibition on the subject.

If, unlike me, you're currently in Brussels, take the opportunity to publicise this cause or visit the exhibition at NATO HQ. There are also many ways to help Ukrainian NGOs, such as donations or purchases directly from their websites. In the meantime, we must all continue to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces by raising the profile of the brave women and men who fight for our way of life. 🇺🇦

Photo courtesy of the Office of the NATO SG Special Representative for WPS.

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