UNDP in Ukraine

"Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights in Ukraine" Programme (a project funded and implemented by the European Union and UNDP in Ukraine) has signed Memoranda of cooperation with three Ukrainian Universities: Kyiv Vadym Hetman National Economic University, Mariupol State Humanitarian University and Prykarpatsky Vasyl Stefanyk National University.

Within the frameworks of this document, the Universities will establish three Gender Education Centres with support of the Project.

“By establishing Gender Education Centres at the participating Universities and cooperating with the Project we would be able to overcome the stereotypes in curricula and educational practices. Every student irrespective of sex should be aware and have equal opportunities to be a successful person,” said Oleg Yeresko, Director of Department of secondary and pre-school education of the Ministry of Education and Science during the signing ceremony.

Gender Education Centres are opened for large public. They are established to provide expert and technical support to educational processes, conduct research on gender mainstreaming into different sectors of public life, carry out analytical and statistical research of gender transformations in Ukraine and in its regions, raise awareness among students, professors and the public at large on gender issues, and present their operation in mass-media.

“To select the Universities, we organized a competition. The Universities-winners will get equipment for their education centres, the possibilities of building capacity of professors and specialists of the centres as well as informational support,” Project Manager Larysa Kobelyanska said.

Namely, the Project will provide the equipment costing EUR 7,000 and informational materials to each centre. In addition, the Project will organize study tours to EU countries for the specialists working in these centres.

Joanna Kazana-Wisniowecka, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative together with Sergiy Polyuk, Sector Manager on Health and Welfare at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, announced the Universities-winners. In Joanna Kazana-Wisniowecka's words, strengthening the network of gender education centres is very important. “These centres will significantly contribute to raising public awareness in gender issues. People will better know their rights and opportunities,” she added.

Sergiy Polyuk underlined high level of readiness of the participating Universities to disseminate gender equality ideas and patterns among women and men. “Universities should effectively spread information about gender equality among youth,” he added.

Over 10 Universities participated in the competition in 2009. Three winner-Universities were selected according to the following criteria:

capacity of professors, experience of cooperation with other universities and NGOs, and availability of concept and workplan of centres.

Representatives of UNDP, Delegation of EU to Ukraine, Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports and Ministry of Education and Science assessed the received applications.

Additionally, "Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights Programme in Ukraine" organized the discussion of recommendations on mainstreaming gender into the system of education.

Experts, state officials, journalists, representatives of international organizations and NGOs participated in this discussion. Particularly, the experts discussed a new manual for teachers on overcoming gender stereotypes. This manual aims at overcoming traditional patterns that enhance the links between sexes and possibilities of being successful in social life. These patterns still prevail in Ukrainian system of education.

The manual will be printed in 2010 for teachers of all secondary schools in Ukraine.

"Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights in Ukraine" Programme is a UNDP-led project co-financed by the European Union, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA and UN Development Programme. The Project’s national implementing partner is Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Youth and Sports.

The main goal of the Programme is to support Government and civil society efforts to promote gender equality in line with Ukrainian international, constitutional and legal commitments and within the framework of Government action plans. The Project is effective from 2008 to 2011.

For more information, please, contact Mykhailo Koryukalov, Knowledge Management Specialist, EU-UNDP “Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights Programme”, tel.: +38 044 569-1486 or mikhail.koryukalov.@undp.org.