In March, 2022, the NCGM was tasked by its Steering Committee to examine gender-related lessons identified and lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine. The NCGM Steering Committee articulated the need to analyse how both parties to the conflict utilise concepts of gender to their advantage. Since the beginning of the armed conflict, NCGM has monitored and gathered observations from the conflict in our role as an expert centre on Women, Peace and Security and Gender in Military Operations. This thematic analysis waswritten for the NCGM Steering Committee, and presented during the NCGM Steering Committee’s Annual Conference in November 2022.

This thematic analysis is by no means an exhaustive or comprehensive analysis and account of the conflict, but rather a prefatory thematic analysis which highlights a sample of observations on the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine from a gender perspective. It is intended as a starting point for discussions on the gendered strategies used, and consequences of, the war in Ukraine. The thematic analysis provides examples illustrating the relevance of gender perspective in the ongoing conflict, for the purposes of continuing to monitor the conflict with a gender perspective. Notably, the analysis relies on open source information, including research, briefs and reports already available to the public. The paper does not rely on, or convey, any previously undisclosed information. While the NCGM intends for the paper to increase awareness on the use of gender perspective in Ukraine and beyond, this paper does not advocate for any particular situation-specific
courses of action.

The paper starts with a background on gender inequalities in Ukraine and Russia before the outbreak of war, followed by an overview of gendered consequences of the war. Finally, it addresses the question posed by the Steering Committee on strategic use of concepts of gender.

SEE THE ANALYSIS HERE