Russia’s war in Ukraine primarily affects Ukrainians who are defending their lives and freedom. While the war is ongoing and it is, unfortunately, impossible to foresee when it will be over, international discussions on recovery responses to Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine have already been ongoing since 2022.
For these reasons, over the past year, supported by the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, we’ve collaborated with amazing Ukrainian feminists to envision what a feminist recovery and reconstruction could entail. We engaged in debates, discussions, and examined other post-war recovery processes through a feminist lens.
Our work resulted in this Policy Brief “Build Back Better for Everyone – a Feminist Perspective on Reconstruction and Recovery of Ukraine” authored by Nataliia Lomonosova and CFFP. It critically evaluates the approach adopted by the Ukrainian government and international partners, which primarily emphasises reconstruction through economic liberalisation and which has been shaped without the meaningful inclusion of important stakeholders, first and foremost feminist civil society.
Instead, in our policy brief, we advocate for an inclusive and transparent process aimed at reconstructing Ukrainian society, with a specific focus on addressing the inequalities exacerbated by the war. The policy brief also provides concrete policy recommendations, including suggestions on how the upcoming 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin can be better aligned with feminist principles.