At the invitation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office in Ukraine and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representation, the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine took part in a meeting of the Supervisory Board for the National Study on Access to Early Childhood Education and the Expansion of Economic Opportunities for Women — conducted at the request of the Government of Ukraine.

The purpose of the study is to identify effective ways to support women with children under the age of 6 in the labor market by improving the system of early childhood education and removing barriers that prevent combining motherhood and employment.

From the Trade Union, the meeting was attended by Women’s Wing activist Yuliia Zakaliuzhna, who raised an extremely important issue — support for women and children of servicemembers.
“Thousands of Ukrainian women are raising children on their own while their husbands defend the country at the front. They carry a double burden — being both mother and father, combining childcare, household responsibilities, and work. For them, access to flexible employment and social support is not a matter of comfort, but of survival and dignity,” Yuliia noted.

The participants agreed on the need to integrate the needs of women from military families into national support programs and to create a real system of partnership between the state, communities, international organizations, and employers.

Together — to ensure that every Ukrainian mother has the opportunity to work, raise her children, and build her life even in wartime.