Outcome UKR_D_1.2

By 2029, people benefit from a strong economic recovery and decent work, with inclusive labor force participation, increased productivity, and reduced regional disparities. (CF outcome 2 on Inclusive economic growth)

In 2025, progress toward gender responsive economic recovery, decent work and inclusive labor force participation accelerated through institutional and individual-level interventions. Government and private-sector capacities to promote women’s access to decent work, equal pay, and productive resources expanded. Evidence generated by UN Women informed gender-responsive decision-making, including measures to ease unpaid care and mitigate gendered impacts of the energy crisis. Corporate accountability for gender equality, gender responsive and inclusive workplaces advanced through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). New signatories and companies enhanced their knowledge and skills to promote gender equality within the organizations and implement gender responsive policies and practices. A national WEPs online course and peer-learning platforms reinforced long-term institutionalization of corporate capacity, while the WEPs Award and Networking Day promoted gender-responsive leadership and collective solutions to common challenges such as gender pay gaps, gender biased workplaces, harassment and discrimination. Women entrepreneurs strengthened their resilience and competitiveness through financial assistance, targeted trainings, and mentoring, benefiting from comprehensive support packages, resulting in expanding income-generating activities and the launch of new businesses. The Women’s Entrepreneurship boot camp and EXPO facilitated market linkages for women entrepreneurs connecting them with buyers, mentors, and ecosystem partners, opening paths to new contracts and collaboration to support higher productivity and firm survival during crisis. Partnerships with the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) expanded market access, regional inclusion and entrepreneurial competencies for 124 young women, most of whom were internally displaced or living in frontline regions, built entrepreneurial, digital, and financial competencies and accessed the UCCI’s nationwide business network and post project activities including mentorship support. Emotional resilience was reinforced through psychosocial services, enabling sustained engagement in entrepreneurial activity despite crisis conditions. Cultural and innovation initiatives under the EU-funded programme further challenged gender stereotypes and promoted women’s leadership in STEAM fields, reaching over 2 million people and encouraging gender norms transformation by elevating past and present women artists and innovators. Women’s labor-market readiness improved through large-scale employability and mentorship programs delivered tangible results. The Women for the Future program supported 819 war-affected women directly with career skills, mentorship, and psychosocial support. Among the participants of the mentorship programme, 22% secured employment and 12% launching their own businesses. Over 80% reported improved knowledge of equal opportunities and anti-discrimination practices, strengthening employability as well as resilience. She Drives reskilling initiative dismantled structural gendered barriers in the traditionally male-dominated transport sector, enabling women to obtain professional licenses and secure professional certification, and employment as drivers in municipal and private passenger transport companies across six regions. Institutional change included adoption of internal gender-equality policies and practices by transport enterprises and public campaigns reaching over 522,000 people, normalizing women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated fields. Inclusive services scaled nationwide through the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund and partnerships with women’s rights organizations, a total of 9,772 women enhanced employability via structured trainings, mentorship, legal consultations, and psychosocial support together with disability-inclusive service delivery in underserved regional. These interventions boosted confidence, expanded professional networks, and facilitated entry into non-traditional sectors, contributing to reduced regional disparities and inclusive economic recovery. Women’s access to decent work and entrepreneurship has evolved from isolated interventions to holistic and scalable approaches, ensuring broader benefit from decent work and a more inclusive economy. Overall, these results demonstrate systemic improvements, institutional change, corporate practices, and individual transformation, driving inclusive labor force participation and gender responsive recovery.