The Russian-Ukrainian war began on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Now, over a year later, there is still no end in sight. Although President Volodymyr Zelensky only ordered men ages 18-60 to stay and fight, many women have remained in Ukraine, too, to support the war effort. As of December 2022, 60,000 Ukrainian women are serving in the army. They have taken on roles including, but not limited to, engaging in actual warfare and acting as spies on behalf of their government. The involvement of women in the war and the results of their selfless actions have led 350 of them to receiving awards acknowledging their service. Despite the many who support women empowerment, especially in the military, there are also those whose viewpoints are still traditional and outdated. A main reason why women spies have been so successful is because the Russians “were not suspecting women,” says one anonymous female source.
Similarly, a lot of men in the Ukrainian army were not suspecting Ukrainian women to help either. There is no standard military uniform for women, so the female volunteers make do with what they are given. One army volunteer, Anastasia Blyshchyk (age 26), was rebuffed and put on a waitlist when she offered to help. She was told “You’re a woman, you need to make babies, go home.” She and many others represent the strong will of Ukrainian women and their bravery when faced with resistance. While war may be a horrible thing, it can also bring about great change. When the war finally ends, there is a well-founded implication of further equality for Ukrainian women within Ukraine. Since the war, half “of all new small businesses” were founded by women. Alla Kuznietsova, a former Ukrainian spy, left interviewers with this final message: “Not every woman will take a gun and fight, but we do everything possible to help the army.” It is this love for their home country that will hopefully bring about a positive change and create a more equitable society for all these hardworking and deserving women.
Information from the New York Times Article: Ukrainian Women Fight For Their Own Liberation