Amplifying the voices of women

with disabilities in Ukraine

Summary
Ukraine ratified the key human rights treaties and adopted national policies and laws on human rights
and gender equality. These are yet to be translated into practical action through national and local
plans and budgets, which are not inclusive of the needs of women with disabilities. UN Women
partnered with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities in building capacity of grass-root
women to conduct a Gender Accessibility Audit in Kramatorsk city, conflict-affected Donetsk region. A
group of women with disabilities and those having children with disabilities audited 8 institutions
providing services of priority for them, assessing the gender-responsiveness and accessibility. The
Audit findings informed their advocacy with authorities and resulted in higher municipal budget
allocation to address the voiced needs.

Situation
In Ukraine about 2.6 million persons experience disability, with the estimated 178,265 living in
conflictaffected region of Donetsk is. UN Women’s Vulnerability Analysis (VA) 1 provided evidence of
the intersectional discrimination faced by women with disabilities making them along with IDPs, older
women, women living with HIV and others the most vulnerable. Inaccessibility of public buildings
causes their social isolation, marginalization, and exclusion. Women with disabilities are restricted in
exercising their basic human rights, participation in public life, employment and education. Limited
understanding of gender perspective in addressing the disability issues and poor engagement with civil
society, explains a lack of actions by the decision makers to address the particular needs of women
with disabilities in local planning and budgeting.

Strategy
In 2017 to address the needs of women with disabilities and those having children with disabilities,
UN Women partnered with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities and the grass-root
women in piloting the Gender Accessibility Audit in Kramatorsk city 2 . The Audit identified
infrastructure, information and communication barriers restricting access of women to public
services, thus causing direct and indirect discrimination against women with disabilities. UN Women
built capacities of women with disabilities in evidence-based advocacy and effective engagement
with Kramatorsk city authorities. As a result, the 2018 municipal plan and budget integrated the
measures and resources to address the gaps. Additionally, the same group of women advocated with

1 http://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital -library/publications/2017/12/analysis-of-vulnerabilities-of-women-and-
mendecentralization-in-the-conflict-affected-areas-ukraine

2 Gender Accessibility Audit of the City of Kramatorsk, Donetsk oblast, Summary of Findings, December 2017, available at:
http://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2018/05/gender-accessibility-audit--of-the-city-of-kramatorskdonetsk-
oblast

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the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and
Housing and Communal Services, which took their recommendations on board, as it developed the
new state construction norms.
Results and lessons learned
Evidence-based advocacy by women with disabilities, based on the Gender Accessibility Audit (GAA)
conducted with UN Women’s support, resulted in integration of concrete measures to address the
needs of women in the municipal plan, supported by the budget. It also informed the decentralization
reform policy making at the national level: