Key takeaways from panel discussion “Gender Advocacy for Equality and Inclusivity in Green Deal Action” at Cafe Kyiv in Berlin
The war in Ukraine has shifted the gender roles bringing women forward in all industries and sectors. How such dramatic change influences the recovery and climate spheres? How to deal with stereotypes by showcasing women contributions?
Julia Jesson, head of the Ukrainian Climate Office, participated in Café Kyiv’s panel “Gender Advocacy in Green Deal Action”, dedicated to questions about interlinkages of shifted gender roles, war, recovery and climate.
The discussion helped to explore the role of gender advocacy in Ukraine’s Green Deal implementation and EU accession, focusing on women’s leadership in energy and climate policy amid war and recovery.
Julia Jesson, head of the Ukrainian Climate Office, stressed that the war has removed millions of men from the workforce, forcing women into new economic and leadership roles, particularly in agriculture, logistics, and energy, while also managing war-induced family responsibilities. This shift has created new opportunities, but without long-term policies, these gains may be reversed post-war. At the same time, many male-dominated industries will decline due to Ukraine’s EU-aligned decarbonization policies. A truly inclusive approach and just transition must not only support women’s continued participation but also ensure returning veterans are reintegrated into the evolving economy, preventing their economic exclusion.
Key takeaways:
• EU integration represents an opportunity to bring gender equality topics to the conversation.
• Gender inclusion provides greater resilience and growth to the larger society.
• The labor gap in renewable energy is vast and can be filled by both men and women—it just takes political will to turn it into policy.
• We should try to use the current momentum to integrate gender issues into state policies.
The participants agreed that its vitally important to involve men in the gender equality conversation and implementing policies to sustain women’s increasing presence in the energy sector.
#CafeKyiv, organised by CafeKyiv, organised by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung brings together politics, science, culture, innovation, and networking, with a strong focus on freedom, security, and reconstruction.
Ukrainian Climate Office operates under the Capacities for Climate Action Project, which is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and co-financed by European Union.