Gender, Politics and Society in Ukraine

Book excerpt: Gender, Politics, and Society in Ukraine is the first collection to examine how political, social, and economic transitions in post-Communist Ukraine are transforming gender roles and relations within the country. Leading Western and Ukrainian scholars and practitioners address a wide range of effects associated with and reinforced by these transitions – including the breakdown of the general welfare system, the lack of progress in the development of the healthcare system, gender inequality in political representation, the patriarchal nature of nation building, human trafficking, domestic violence, changing conceptions of fatherhood and masculinity, homelessness, and LGBT issues – from a variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives. Gender, Politics, and Society in Ukraine is particularly innovative in its exploration of both women's and men's experiences and the ways in which gender relations shift over time in societies undergoing transitions to democracy. As such, this volume furthers the understanding of the complex obstacles and challenges of working towards gender equality in evolving democracies and identifies future priorities for research, politics, and policy development.