2-3 July, Kherson region: Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights in Ukraine Programme (a joint project of UNDP, European Union and SIDA) have gathered in Kherson region Deputy Heads of regional State administrations as well as managers responsible for the implementation of state gender policy. During this conference, the participants discussed the state of women and men in economic crisis.

In the beginning of the seminar, Iryna Ignatova, Gender Mainstreaming expert (Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights in Ukraine Programme), informed that, according to expert evaluations, Ukraine belonged to the countries which suffered the greatest damage from economic crisis in Eastern Europe and CIS.
The level of GDP in Ukraine to decline by 8% in 2009: "We have to make use of all opportunities to overcome the consequences of economic crisis. The implementation of gender approaches could generate certain solutions to this situation", said Iryna Ignatova.
Yulia Galustyan, a leading scientist of the Institute of economics, explained the impact of financial crisis on the economic behaviour of women and men in Ukraine.
She informed that in January 2009, 900,6 thousands of unemployed were registered in the country. Among them - 485,2 thousands of women and 415,4 thousands of men. These numbers decreased in March 2009: to 475,5 thousands of women and 403,5 thousands of men respectively.

She argued that the best way to overcome economic crisis in Ukraine is to develop small and medium business. Indeed, the shares of small and medium business in GDP go to more than 10%. This type of business is also the more adaptive and has a quick capacity of reorientation in order to meet new needs and market opportunities.
In addition, small and medium business employ more than 2 millions people, which is 10% of Ukrainian active population. In 2008, the number of small and medium enterprises increased. Among the 1,5 million of unemployed, 10% will go into small and medium business.
Galustyan also informed the participants about different economic industries, where women are top-managers: 46% of restaurants and food business are managed by women, 33.7% of agriculture and forest enterprises are managed by women, 70% small and 30% medium enterprises (retail and wholesale) are managed by women.
During the financial crisis of 1997-1999, enterprises led by women proved themselves more resistant to the impact of crisis. The share of women among businessmen increased by 7% during these years.
Iryna Kalachova, Director of statistic services department (State Committee of Statistics of Ukraine), explained how the Committee used statistic data for gender analysis on national and regional levels.
She also told the participants about the gender statistics database from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, that contains specific divisions: population, family and household, employment and economics, education, public life, decision-making processes, health care, law infringement and violence, working life balance, science and technologies.
Kalachova argued that the impact of gender statistics is very important in the development of different policies. Gender statistics help analyse the differences between women and men and monitor the changes of their states. At the same time, there are several problems linked to the production of gender statistics. Users of gender statistics are not always aware what type of statistics they cab obtain from the State statistics system. And on the other hand, producers of gender statistics do not know the needs and requirements of users.
She proposed solutions for improving gender statistics and stressed the importance of enhancing statistics methodology for implementing gender approaches into the State statistics system of Ukraine.
Ella Libanova, Director of the Institute of demography and social research, presented to the participants the main characteristics of the ongoing economic crisis. In her opinion, financial and economic indicators are only part of the problem. The crisis also generates much deeper and more significant problems, such as depopulation, demographic ageing of the population, pollution, increasing gap between the poor and the rich (countries, groups, individuals), crisis of values, political instability, and terrorism.
Among the main social and economic problems of Ukraine today are the combination of short life expectancy and high level of demographic ageing plus low levels of living conditions, insecurity, overall dissatisfaction.
Libanova noted that the main manifestation of the crisis in Ukraine are unemployment, decreased financial capacity of the country, return of labour migrants, difficulties of monofunctional cities. She also informed that in 2008 women's salaries were 75,2 % of men's salaries. As for the pensions, women received only 67,3 % of men's pensions.
The workshop participants learned how gender policy is being implemented in Kherson region. They also spoke of gender aspects within the overall regional development in the time of economic crisis.
Igor Yakovlev, Deputy Head of Kherson regional State administration, told the participants about the realization of State gender policy in the region. A survey was conducted in Kherson region in order to compose the Region's first "Gender portrait", as well as a gender analysis of regional budget.
Among other achievements, Yakovlev spoke of successfully-organised series of 54 training sessions on "Gender aspects in employment" which were conducted in 18 district centres. In addition, UNDP helped the Regional Administration conduct the "Gender asymmetry in executive and self-government bodies" study. The region also has an efficiently working committee on family, youth and gender equality.
Yakovlev added that the planned a number of activities for 2009. Specifically they are going to evaluate the regional programme on gender equality 2009-2010 (first year of implementation) in accordance with the UNDP monitoring system.
Nataliya Chermoshentseva, Coordinator of Tavria Centre of social research and Olga Zhukova, Advisor on gender issues to the Head of Kherson regional State administration, presented the results of "Unemployment among men: regional tendencies and new challenges for State policy" research findings. The research was conducted in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between UNDP, Kherson Regional Council and Kherson Regional State administration with the financial support from EU, SIDA and UNDP.
The main goal of their study was to determine and analyse tendencies in the regional labour market in the context of male employment, as experts say.
The research findings confirmed that insecurity and instability prevented men from actually planning their own employment. Men possess weaker adaptation capacities than women, especially in situations linked to the loss of job. If not finding a job within 4-5 months, they start having real difficulties in returning to normal life style.
The authors presented their recommendations and voiced their readiness to share experience with other regions.
The participants engaged in active discussions. They found that conducting similar events was necessary and timely for ensuring sustainable development of regions.
For more information, contact Mykola Yabchenko (Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights in Ukraine Programme): +38 067 290 55 01, +38 044 569 40 75, mykola.yabchenko AT undp.org.ua.