From Albania to Zimbabwe, few women have attained political success. In Ukraine, though, woman have achieved greater results. The reason is simple: women comprise about 54 percent of Ukraine's population. Without their active participation, it would be impossible to build a democratic society.
This year, beside celebrating International Women's Day in March, this most "feminine" month is marked by major political turmoil - parliamentary elections. On March 26, when Ukrainians choose their representatives, many will include prominent women.
In Ukrainian, the word "politik" has a masculine gender and usually is used in a male connotation. In our country, there is general belief that the woman cannot cook soup with one hand and solve problems of national importance with the second. Actually, though, traits like a high I.Q., leadership and toughness are not gender-specific. Still Ukrainians haven't yet become fully accustomed to the idea. In a way, the oncoming elections should indicate voters' attitudes toward women candidates.
Some of the Ukrainian women who have attained power and influence include:
• Yulia Tymoshenko. This year, for the first time in the history of an independent Ukraine, there was a woman prime minister. Tymoshenko comes across as a true revolutionary, though her cabinet was heavily male-dominated. Sometimes referred to as the gas queen, she made her fortune in the gas trading business.
• Raisa Bohatyriova. Active in sports gymnastics and issues related to providing social protections to mothers and children, Bohatyriova is rumored to be a dark horse candidate for the prime minister's post should the Party of Regions land a legislative majority..
• Oksana Bilozir. A former Culture Minister, she is a talented actress and a fierce defender of women's rights in Ukraine. One of her connections to power? She's the godmother of President Viktor Yushchenko's child.
• Inna Bohoslovska. A former member of parliament, she leads the Viche Ukrainy party. With brown eyes, black eyebrows, and long black hair, she appears a typical Ukrainian woman. Her political party is believed to be sponsored by influential Ukrainian businessman Viktor Pinchuk, former President Leonid Kuchma's son-in-law.
• Lyudmyla Suprun. The mariarch of a Ukrainian political family and People's Democratic Party (NDP)leader, she is the wife of Mykola Suprun, an adviser to Prime Minister Yuriy Yehanurov.
• Tetiana Zasukha. One of leaders of the Labor Ukraine party, she is wed to the former head of the Kiev regional administration.
• Natalia Vitrenko. The outspoken, anti-American leader of Ukraine's Progressive Socialist Party, Vitrenko's main message is anti-NATO, anti-EU, anti-Western capitalism. Very active and vigorous, she is the mother of three children.
Berehynia - the "liberated" Ukrainian woman
As any emerging state, Ukraine has began to rediscover its historical memory and reconstruct its identity by reviving national myths. Ukrainians recall their matriarchal traditions, including the symbol of Berehynia - a pagan goddess, the mother and guardian of the nation.
The high status of women in ancient Ukrainian society is described by Marian Rubchak in "Christian Virgin or Pagan Goddess". She writes that among the early Slavs who populated Kievan Rus' there is strong evidence that a matri-centric order existed that accorded women considerable influence and prestige.
The high esteem that females enjoyed in ancient Rus' was particularly evident in the marriage rituals: no marriage could take place without the consent of the woman, and it was not unusual for young females to seize the initiative in courtship. This tradition persisted in Ukraine into the early modern period of the country's history, at which time prospective brides still enjoyed considerable freedom to choose their husbands. Ukraine did not adopt Russia's policy of domostroi, which permitted men to rule their households with an iron fist, and accepted a man's right to physically punish his wife.
Still, it would go too far to say that a concerted effort has been made over the last 15 years to reach gender parity in Ukrainian politics. Ukraine still lags behind Norway, Sweden, and Finland, where approximately 40 percent of government ministries are headed by women. Besides, official data shows that among 70 percent of the nation's unemployed are women. Women continue to be concentrated in the low-paying, low-prestige sectors of the economy, with far fewer possibilities for promotion than men. Usually, a woman' s salary is about 70 percent of what a man is paid.
The idea of renewing the nation, or building a young state reviving ancient customs, should be perceived by society as a reversal of the role of its women.
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