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The expansion of the role of women in business is a key aspect for economic development, social stability and achieving gender equality in the world. The full participation of women in the global economy could increase global GDP by 26% by 2025, which is equal to 28 trillion US dollars. That is why it is important to create appropriate conditions for women’s professional development and to maintain equal treatment in the labor market for both sexes.

From April 14 to 16, the second training in 2025 on the implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) took place. Over the course of three days, experts in the field of gender equality shared their experience in implementing WEPs and creating decent working conditions for women. The speakers were representatives of UN Women, the Ukrainian Investment and Trade Promotion Center, the EdCamp Ukraine NGO, JurFem, the Masha Foundation, and Marie Claire. Topics for discussion included gender development in pay, the introduction of gender-sensitive language and the development of gender policies in the workplace, the importance of supporting inclusive and barrier-free approaches, etc. Separately, media representatives talked about how to promote women's voices, develop economic leadership, and inclusive approaches in the media space.

The trainings help representatives of the private sector and civil society organizations to increase their awareness of approaches to implementing WEPs, as well as expand their knowledge of creating initiatives to empower women. Thus, 35 participants from different regions of Ukraine and abroad joined this series of trainings. In total, 7 series of WEPs implementation exercises were conducted during 2023-2025 (4 offline and 3 online), which were attended by 197 participants.

During the training, the participants also learned about the conditions for joining the Alliance for a Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery of Ukraine, which brings together businesses, international organizations, international financial institutions and governments of different countries to jointly promote gender equality and women's empowerment in Ukraine. The condition for joining the Alliance is signing the WEPs. To date, 44 Ukrainian companies have signed them.

“UN Women supports the promotion of WEPs as an effective tool for achieving gender equality and women's empowerment in the labor market and in society as a whole. The promotion of WEPs is also part of a broader effort to support the Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery in Ukraine, which brings together over 70 members, including governments and the private sector, to ensure women’s participation and empowerment in Ukraine’s recovery and EU integration processes,” said Lina Rylander, UN Women’s Head of Women’s Economic Empowerment team.

“In a context of major war, implementing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) is not only a gender equality issue, but also a key factor for the country’s economic recovery and social stability. As the UNDP report notes, corporate responsibility to respect human rights becomes even more important during times of war, as the risk of gross human rights violations increases significantly. "Ukrainian companies that integrate WEPs can help attract internally displaced persons to jobs, support women in business, and help the country overcome the consequences of war through inclusive economic development," concludes Iryna Tytarchuk, Executive Director of the Ukraine Investment and Trade Facilitation Center, which conducted the training.

Disclaimer:

The training on the implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) isimplemented within the framework of the “Empowering Women in Business” initiative, which is carried out within the project "Transformational Approaches to Achieving Gender Equality in Ukraine," implemented by UN Women with the financial support of the Government of Sweden in cooperation with the Office Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine.

These events are part of efforts to promote awareness of the Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery in Ukraine and implement its commitments through the implementation of WEPs.

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Ukraine Investment and Trade Facilitation Center

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Background:

Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of seven principles that serve as a tool to guide businesses in promoting gender equality and empowering women in the workplace, labor market, and society. Through their implementation, companies change their approaches to supporting women, protecting their rights, and treating them fairly in the workplace.

"Empowering Women in Business" is an initiative to raise awareness, conduct training, and provide informational support to representatives of the private sector to improve their professional skills in implementing the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and implementing relevant programs, as well as to facilitate the creation of new partnerships with private companies, business associations, and NGOs to promote gender equality and expand women's economic opportunities.

"UN Women" is the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. It is the leading body coordinating the work of the UN system in the field of gender equality. It is a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly, established by the Assembly's decision in 2010 to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women worldwide, increase the efficiency of using available resources, and consolidate the mandates and functions of individual UN system units that dealt exclusively with gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Office Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine ensures the implementation of state policy to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men in Ukraine and the corresponding coordination of interaction between central executive bodies.

Ukraine Investment and Trade Facilitation Center is an independent non-profit organization specializing in supporting the development of small and medium-sized businesses, promoting the implementation of women's economic empowerment initiatives, trade, and export.