The Government has developed and approved a Strategy for Reducing the Gender Pay Gap and has already embarked on its implementation. The Government plans to reduce the gender pay gap from 18.6% to 13.6% by 2030. This was stated by Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, in her speech at the event "Towards the Implementation of the National Strategy for Overcoming the Gender Pay Gap for the Period up to 2030 and the Contribution of Partners to this Process", which was attended by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.

"Like most developed countries, Ukraine has committed itself to closing the gender pay gap over the next seven years. Russia's attack has put this great work in jeopardy, just as it has put all areas of our lives in jeopardy. When I spoke in New York in September as part of the International Day for Equal Pay 2023 event, I emphasized that in times of war, development is usually the first to die because people are thinking about survival. But even then, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and now, I am pleased and proud to state that this is not our case. Because Ukraine has made a fundamental decision to develop despite the war. And the state is not turning away from this path, despite the fact that it is sometimes mined, sometimes we have to overcome it under fire," said Olena Zelenska.

The Ministry of Economy has developed a National Strategy for Closing the Gender Pay Gap until 2030 and presented it in May this year. On 15 September, the Government adopted the strategy and approved an operational action plan for its implementation for 2023-2025. The implementation of the Strategy is expected to achieve three key goals:

• improve legislation on equal pay;
• help overcome stereotypes and discrimination against professions based on gender;
• create favourable conditions for a convenient combination of family and professional responsibilities.

"Our Strategy also has a measurable goal: by 2030, we want to reduce the gender pay gap by 5 percentage points, from 18.6% to 13.6%. After the victory, Ukraine should become a country without barriers and without prejudice. We have to build it exactly like that: innovative, focused on people and their needs, and open to diversity. The National Strategy for Closing the Gender Pay Gap is just one of the tools for transitioning our society to new standards. Equality of opportunities is a guarantee of harmonious development of the state and society," said Yuliia Svyrydenko.

 According to her, since May, the Ministry of Economy has already started implementing this strategy and has achieved the first results:

• Ministry of Economy has prepared a draft Labour Code;
• partners - UN Women Ukraine - will soon launch an all-Ukrainian communication campaign;
• Government has applied to join the OECD Council's recommendation to ensure gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurship;
• Ministry of Economy implements the eRobota grant programme, which promotes the involvement of women, including wives of veterans, in entrepreneurship. The majority of winners under the programme are women.