STATE POLICY ON COMBATING SEXISM IN ELECTORAL PROCESSES AND ENSURING BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN THE VERKHOVNY RADA AND LOCAL RADAS OF UKRAINE

Based on an analysis of recent domestic scientific research, current laws and their drafts, the article examines the existing and prospective state policy of Ukraine in combating sexism in electoral processes and ensuring balanced representation of women and men in councils of various levels; It is shown that in recent years Ukraine has undertaken a number of international obligations, among which the issues of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men are a cross-cutting theme, which encourages the Ukrainian authorities to adapt domestic legislation to European legislation, including on sexism; It was found that the previous practice of holding elections to the local councils showed that, despite the obligation established by law to comply with the gender quota, some subjects of the electoral process tried to ignore it during the nomination and registration of candidates or circumvent the quota by encouraging women to refuse to run after registering their electoral list with the relevant election commission or from a representative mandate, which ultimately contributed to the election of more men; in this regard, it has been proven that in our country there is an urgent need to strengthen the legislative regulation of the gender quota both for elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and for elections of deputies of local councils; It was concluded that the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the amendments proposed by the existing draft laws or a single joint Law on ensuring gender equality and combating sexism would meet the requirements of the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s further integration into the European Union and will demonstrate to the civilized world Ukraine’s commitment and readiness to adhere to democratic principles during the organization and conduct of elections to both the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and local councils.