Women defending Ukraine’s freedom
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It doesn’t matter which gender, status, or how old you are, all Ukrainians are united in the struggle for freedom. Many women are serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They tend to be overlooked, although the role of women in the defense of Ukraine has been substantial. NaUKMA’s women play a major role in defense of Ukraine and are at the forefront in the military, humanitarian, and strategic sectors. We are proud to share a few of the many stories about our brave women. The contribution of women to Ukraine’s military defense cannot be underestimated. In his September 12 NYT article “Ukraine Deflates MAGA Macho Myths”, Paul Krugman wrote that “women make up more than a fifth of Ukraine’s military.
The Invisible Battalion.
Established in 2014 immediately after the Maidan Revolution, the “Invisible Battalion” were women pioneers in advocating for equal treatment in the military and as veterans regardless of gender, including their medical and psychological treatment. The leaders of this movement were graduates of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. They established the Women Veterans Movement and advocated establishing the Institute of Gender Programs to research, educate, and facilitate equal treatment of women. They focus on areas of particular concern: women in military formations, returning to civilian life, and sexual abuse in military formations.
On September 6th, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy hosted a conference titled, “Gender Equality in the Military”. The presentation and discussions were led by Dr. Tamara Martseniuk, associate professor in sociology, specializing in gender studies at NaUKMA. She led a research team including Maryna Lazarenko, coordinator of The Invisible Battalion, Anna Kvit, a researcher in gender studies, and Yulia Kyryllova, a military veteran, member of the Women Veterans Movement, and faculty member at NaUKMA. The event was attended by a large group of students.
Yarina Chornohuz
Yarna Chornohuz is a combat medic, a paramedic who joined the Ukrainian Marines in 2019 after graduating from NaUKMA. She is the author of the book “Як вигинається воєнне коло» (How the Military Circle Bends).
Yaryna wrote, “I loved studying a lot. I graduated from the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, where I studied Literature and Philosophy in the Department of Humanities. Before my life, at the frontline, I used to combine studies, seminars, and my work as a translator. I translated teenagers’ and children's books from English into Ukrainian for publishing houses”.
Even after the loss of her beloved boyfriend in 2020 who served in the military, she refused to leave and she decided to keep fighting for the freedom of her homeland, and for the future of her 6-year-old daughter. This heroic woman has passed all the physical and psychological tests equally with men to serve in the Marine Reconnaissance Battalion and is currently serving during the full-scale invasion.
Kateryna Maksym
