This is a recurring phenomenon in times of war. While half of men forcibly abandon family, home and work to go to the battlefield, many sectors of activity find themselves without a workforce. In Ukraine, women have invested in construction, the highway sector and even arms production to support their country, as Politico recounts in an article published on October 30, 2024.
Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the country has lost “30% of its workforce potential” the equivalent of 5.5 million people of working age, according to figures from the Confederation of Ukrainian Employers.
Make yourself useful
While many women left the country to protect themselves and their children from the bombs, many others stayed and are participating in the war effort in their own way. Some learned a new job to help the country's economy from collapsing. Still others joined the army. According to Politico, they now represent 38% of the workforce of the national defense group Ukroboronprom and are even more numerous in the private defense sector.
Weapons used in the war in Ukraine
“When my husband went to war, I understood that I also wanted to be useful. He is a drone pilot. So about a year ago, I decided to join the small drone production“Halyna Yavorska, a lawyer by training, told the American media. “We started with 70 drones per month and now we can produce a few thousand per week. Our team has also grown from six to 40 people, including ten women.”
Women and retirees
Before the war broke out, Valentina, 40, was already chairman of the board of directors of a company specializing in defense. To avoid being identified by the Russians, she asked that her name be changed. Several of his employees, including his deputy, volunteered to go to the front. In order to maintain the company's production, they were replaced by women and retirees.
“My current staff is mostly made up of very experienced people. Yes, it is difficult for them to work, but their experience is invaluable, even if some are 80 years old and over”Valentyna explained to Politico.
Yavorska is convinced of this: “Women must play a leading role in the country's economy. Because our men protect [l’Ukraine] and do everything so that the war does not reach us, we must help them at the front and take courses and learn other trades too”. The past can only prove him right.
