(based on the results of the event “On the Road to URC 2025”, December 16, 2025, Kyiv)*
We, the participants of the event “On the Road to URC 2025: Strengthening Cooperation between International Partners and Civil Society,” held on December 16, 2025, in Kyiv, aimed to strengthen the cooperation between civil society and international partners in implementing gender mainstreaming in Ukraine’s recovery and to develop practical steps to implement the recommendations of the “10 Blocks of Gender-Sensitive and Inclusive Recovery” in international projects included in the Roadmap for Planning Further Steps in Implementing Gender Mainstreaming in Recovery for 2025-2026,
Guided by the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, which calls for increased representation of women in decision-making processes and requires that the special needs of women and girls be considered in post-conflict reconstruction, which, together with the requirement to support local women’s peace initiatives and involve them in all mechanisms for implementing agreements, forms the international legal framework for an inclusive recovery process led by women-led organizations;
Emphasizing that the European Union’s regulatory framework for Ukraine’s post-war recovery institutionalizes gender equality as a cross-cutting priority, namely Regulation (EU) 2024/792, which established the Ukraine Facility:
– sets out in Article 4 the general principles of support based on the rule of law, democracy, and respect for human rights, including minority rights, gender equality and non-discrimination;
– determines that the implementation of the Instrument should contribute to preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, encourage meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes and take into account the European Union Gender Equality Action Plans;
– emphasizes in paragraph 34 of the preamble the need to respond to health challenges, particularly mental health challenges, with special attention to children, and requires coherence with the UN Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Rights of the Child, ensuring the accessibility of investments;
– enshrines in Article 17 (clause 1, subclause j-iv) a mandatory requirement for the “Plan for Ukraine” to explain how the planned measures will contribute to the gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and the promotion of their rights;
Building on the commitments of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025) in Rome, which identified gender-responsive and inclusive recovery processes as integral to recovery policy, and emphasizing that the declaration of these principles should be accompanied by their direct implementation in all international technical assistance, recovery projects and programs;
Recognizing the key role of civil society, in particular women-led and feminist organizations in analysis of challenges and needs, advocacy and practical implementation of gender mainstreaming and inclusion principles in the recovery, as well as the Civil Society Advisory Panel of the Platform for Ensuring Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusion in Recovery as a coordination mechanism of such expertise;
Directing joint efforts to strengthen cooperation between civil society and international partners in the field of gender mainstreaming and recognizing the priority of developing practical steps to implement the recommendations of the “10 Blocks of Gender-Sensitive and Inclusive Recovery” in international projects included in the Roadmap for Planning Further Steps in Implementing Gender Mainstreaming in Recovery for 2025-2026;
Emphasizing that the lack of systematic collection of sex-disaggregated data and a proper gender impact assessment of recovery programs makes it difficult to make informed decisions, monitor results, and address the diverse needs of different groups of women and men, particularly those who are vulnerable;
Expressing concern that gender equality and social inclusion continue to be perceived as additional components rather than cross-cutting approaches in the planning and implementing recovery programs, and that the gender component is often formally included in projects without having a real impact, while damage assessments and recovery needs remain insufficiently gender-sensitive;
Recognizing that sectoral and thematic mechanisms for coordinating international technical assistance, as well as government coordination platforms, do not fully involve civil society organizations, including women-led organizations, in establishing recovery priorities;
Noting the general trend toward reduced international funding and the prevalence of short-term project grants, as well as the lack of mechanisms for basic institutional financing of civil society organizations, particularly women-led organizations, which hinders long-term planning and team retention, ultimately restricting their capacity to consistently engage in and influence recovery processes;
Recognizing the insufficient media coverage of gender-responsive and inclusive recovery, which limits public awareness and understanding of its importance and consequently weakens the demand for relevant approaches in recovery processes;
ADOPT THIS POSITION
and call to make practical steps aimed at implementation of the “10 Blocks of Gender-Sensitive and Inclusive Recovery” recommendations in international recovery projects and programs:
1. Hold regular consultations between the donor community and women-led and feminist civil society organizations in the form of direct dialogue to incorporate their perspectives into the planning and implementation of recovery projects, using the existing mechanisms – donors’ coordination platforms and the Civil Society Advisory Panel of the Platform for Ensuring Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusion in Recovery.
2. Strengthen the effectiveness of existing coordination platforms, in particular international Alliance for Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Recovery in Ukraine, Platform for Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusion in Recovery, Sectoral working group “Gender Equality” coordinating international technical assistance by promoting interaction at the project level and establishing a systematic exchange of information regarding the objectives, activities, and outcomes of recovery programs and projects with gender and inclusive approach.
3. Promote the exchange of experiences and the dissemination of successful practices for the systematic application of gender and inclusive approaches in the international recovery programs and projects, in particular by contributing to a compendium of best practices of the Roadmap projects.
4. Include gender impact assessment in the objectives of recovery programs and projects and provide appropriate expert and resource support for such assessment.
5. Promote awareness of civil society organizations, including women-led organizations and organizations representing people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, of the existing coordination mechanisms and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.
6. Take into account the needs of different categories of women and men in investment projects, in particular, support the integration of a gender approach into the DREAM system and prioritize support for investment projects that include a gender impact analysis.
7. Promote full and constructive participation of gender think tanks and civil society organizations, including women-led and feminist organizations, the Civil Society Advisory Panel of the Platform for Ensuring Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusion in Recovery, in working groups on reforms and drafting regulations at the early stages, particularly during the formulation of regional development strategies and public investment management reform.
8. Integrate a gender perspective into the development and implementation of sectoral reforms by applying gender-responsive planning and gender impact assessment tools in accordance with the standards of the OECD Development Assistance Committee.
9. Support the analytical capacity development of women-led organizations and gender think tanks, particularly in preparing expert materials on integrating gender and inclusive approaches to reforms and regularly summarizing civil society organizations’ positions on topical recovery issues.
10. Support and introduce a basic institutional funding mechanism for civil society organizations, including women-led organizations, to strengthen their organizational capacity and ensure sustainability.
11. Develop regional coordination and interaction formats involving state and local authorities, donors, and civil society organizations to ensure that community and resident needs are duly considered when planning and implementing recovery programs and projects.
12. Increase the visibility of gender-responsive and inclusive recovery on key national and international platforms, including the Civil Society Forum and dialogues within the Ukraine Donor Platform.
13. Promote systematic media coverage of gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to recovery, in particular through cooperation with independent national and regional media.
This Position highlights the participants’ consensus on the significance of gender mainstreaming and inclusion in Ukraine’s recovery process, as well as the necessity to enhance coordination and partnerships between international partners and civil society.
*The event “On the road from URC 2025: strengthening cooperation between international partners and civil society” of the Civil Society Advisory Panel of the Platform for Ensuring Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusion in Recovery, that united civil society experts and international partners in the field of gender-sensitive and inclusive recovery of Ukraine, took place within the framework of the project “Women. Peace. Security: Acting Together” that is implemented by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund with financial support from the UK Government, provided through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, supported by the Office of Vice-Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic integration and the Apparatus of the Government Commissioner on Gender Equality Policy.