In the Spotlight: Gender Equity in Public Service

On September 12, Inna Kudinska, a lawyer affiliated with Labor Initiatives, was invited to lead a thematic session at the Women’s Forum, supported by the Swedish Public Servants Union Fackförbundet ST and organized by the State Employees Union of Ukraine.

This forum marked the State Employees Union’s first organized effort to address gender equity in the public sector, as all previous union discussions on the topic had been ad hoc and lacked a systematic approach. Among the key speakers of the Forum were the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, the Chairwoman of the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, and the Head of the State Labor Service of Ukraine (Labor Inspectorate).

The two-hour hybrid-format session led by Inna Kudinska focused on gender issues in daily union activities and the challenges workers in Ukraine encounter at work. Female participants specifically shared instances of discrimination during the hiring process, such as when HR or employers inquire about marital status or plans to have children. Additionally, union members emphasized the concerns regarding a formal and superficial approach to gender and anti-discrimination within society and public service at the local level.

Participants also discussed strategies for combating discrimination and promoting equity in the workplace, particularly through educating workers and employers on zero tolerance for all forms of discrimination, adopting local policies, and including relevant provisions in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). It was also stressed that gender policies and pertinent clauses of CBAs should be drafted to meet not only national legal requirements but also to ensure enforceability.