Masculinities and Transition in Ukraine: Country Brief

Abstract

As Ukraine has attempted to distance itself from the Soviet past and to establish a strong and independent self-identity, ideals of masculinity and femininity have emerged that have both nationalist and traditionalist overtones. In contrast to the Soviet emphasis on women’s ‘dual role’, constructions of femininity in contemporary Ukraine prioritise domesticity and motherhood. For men, although there is continuity in the patriotic relationship they share with the state, their more immediate roles have been transformed by the shift to a market economy, such that self-realisation should now also come through individual success in the marketplace and, in turn, as a breadwinner for one’s family. The respective emphasis on women’s domestic role and men’s role as breadwinners reinforces stereotypes that permeate all spheres of life, and these lie at the root of a series of gendered problems faced by women and men. This brief is based on a larger study (that also includes Egypt, Kazakhstan and Turkey), which explores how transition in different countries has been experienced by different groups of men, and its impacts on gender relations. It aims to assist the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other stakeholders to consider ways of engaging men as agents of positive change for gender equality – alongside women and girls – as well as to complement women-focused projects and investments to enhance both the resilience of transitions and equality of opportunity.

Я мало что знаю об [отпуске отцам в связи с рождением ребенка], но мой друг брал его, потому что его жена зарабатывает больше него, но для меня это чуть-чуть диковато… До беременности моя жена тоже зарабатывала больше меня… А меня это задевало внутри… из-за этого я работал, работал и работал, чтобы перебить ее зарплату… но меня просто так воспитали мои родители, так заложено во мне.