The Path to Gender Equality in Wartime Ukraine

This article examines three key dimensions shaping gender (in)equality in Ukraine during the full-scale war: legal, geopolitical, and socio-cultural. Legally, martial law reinforces a traditional (patriarchal) gender order by positioning men primarily as defenders of the state. In contrast, geopolitical developments, especially European integration and distancing from conservative “Russian world” values, support more gender-inclusive policies. On the socio-cultural level, there are signs of shifting attitudes in favor of more egalitarian gender roles and LGBT rights, even in wartime. While certain conservative discourses persist, there is no clear evidence of a return to entrenched patriarchal norms, as often occurs during wartime. Instead, Ukraine’s current trajectory reflects a complex interplay of traditional and, more prominently, progressive elements.