The
survey's results were presented today at a round table meeting "Gender
stereotypes of Ukrainian society" by experts of the Centre for Social
Expertises of the Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of
Ukraine, Ministry of Ukraine for Family, Youth and Sport in cooperation
with United National Development Programme in Ukraine.
According
to the authors of the publication, prepared on the basis of the poll's
findings, the respondents gave the lowest assessment marks when asked
whether equal rights and opportunities for women and men were properly
guaranteed in Ukraine in the areas concerning development of legal
defence against gender discrimination through legal cases and filing
claims to authorized representatives; development of budget financing,
scope of public information and outreach activities with population.
The
survey's results are based on polling of experts and wider public
representatives, analysing the contents of materials in printed media
through a gender dimension and monitoring corresponding data collected
by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of
Ukraine (including the poll results gathered in 2002 - 2006).
The assignment
was performed on request of the UNDP in Ukraine in October 2006 by the
Centre for Social Expertise of the Institute of Sociology of the
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The survey was meant to look
into institutional changes that recently took place in Ukraine at the
policy level of guaranteeing gender equality. Its authors aimed at
finding out whether the current situation meets today's demands in the
sector of gender relations in Ukraine. The main aim of the research has
been to define gender stereotypes and public attitudes to gender issues
within Ukrainian society, as well as to recognise positive
gender-related changes that took place in Ukrainian society during the
past five years (over 2002 - 2006).
The
conducted research indicated that gender equality well remains an acute
issue for Ukrainian society. At the same time, the survey demonstrated
that both women and men become increasingly better aware of this issue.
The role of a woman remains largely underestimated in social, political
and public life. Surprisingly, similar estimations are typical
even among experts in gender issues. And if the principle of gender
equality is comparatively better adhered to in the sector of education
and science, the situation is much worse in family and domestic
affairs sector, where, as earlier, the issues of gender parity were
never resolved in favour of women.
Speaking
at the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Ukraine for Family, Youth and
Sport Ms.Ludmyla Lukinova said that "stereotypes of public
perception create a very powerful barrier in achieving gender equality
in our society".
"The
specific of the stereotypes is such that they are so deeply rooted in
the consciousness which makes them hard to not only to overcome, but to
realize as well. We have to break the stereotypes inside ourselves and
to look ahead with modern vision, to change our world outlook and to
influence the perception of the heads of state, parliamentarians,
people who surround us", the Deputy Minister said.
Among
others, the meeting attracted Government officials, representatives of
UNDP Ukraine, NGOs, mass media, experts and scientists.
UNDP's
Senior Programme Manager Petro Pavlychenko said that achieving gender
equality is one of the 6 Millennium Development Goals Ukraine adopted a
couple of years ago. "They constitute certain
development indicators which are stipulated in the UN Millennium
Declaration and adapted reflecting the special needs of Ukraine's
national development. UNDP acts as a coordinating agency in achieving
Millennium Development Goals and is a global development network that
links and coordinates international and national efforts to reach these
Goals which 189 countries of the world, including Ukraine, have
pledged to achieve," he added.
In
the opinion of the participants, current cultural demands towards women
and men, which are widespread in Ukrainian society, are able to
maintain as well as to compete with the legal norms, including norms of
gender equality.
The
discussion of all these problems by the round table participants
revealed to what extent the citizens of Ukraine are aware of
gender-related issues and whether they are willing to accept or reject
the standards of gender equality, which are the integral part of social
standards in European countries.