Ukraine's female soldiers reflect country's strong feminist tradition
As international audiences have become increasingly familiar with the Ukrainian armed forces during the past three-and-a-half months of war with Russia, one of the aspects to attract most attention has been the large number of servicewomen within Ukraine’s ranks.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian women are currently serving in the Ukrainian military, representing a significant portion of the country’s expanded wartime armed forces. Ukraine’s large contingent of female soldiers are highly respected and fully integrated, performing combat duties and serving as commanders.
Millions more Ukrainian women have volunteered to provide support for the army and the civilian population as the country has pulled together in opposition to the Russian invasion. Footage of ladies cooking, sewing and delivering aid to soldiers on the frontlines has become commonplace, while videos have gone viral of individual grannies berating hapless Russian soldiers.
While women remain relatively underrepresented in Ukrainian politics compared to some neighboring European countries, female Ukrainian MPs and government officials have been highly active since the outbreak of hostilities on February 24, travelling to Western capitals and engaging with the international media to put their country’s message across.
With Ukrainian males aged 18 to 60 unable to leave the country due to the introduction of martial law, Ukrainian women have also taken the lead in coordinating aid and support for the massive wave of refugees fleeing the war.
More here: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/ukraines-female-soldiers-reflect-countrys-strong-feminist-tradition/