«This job is also hers»: Campaign Highlighting Women In Non-Traditional Professions Launches In Ukraine
Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), is launching the nationwide communication campaign «This Job Is Also Hers». The campaign aims to improve women’s employment in construction, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and other technical professions by challenging stereotypes and normalising women’s participation in these sectors.
According to the «National labour market survey of Ukraine 2025-2026»*, less than 2% of women work in professions traditionally considered «male-dominated», despite Ukrainian employers having opened more than 158,000 new vacancies last year.
The gender employment gap remains significant, at 41.5% for women compared with 58.9% for men. At the same time, more than 30% of economically inactive women of working age are ready to enter the labour market if appropriate support is available and barriers to employment are removed.
The campaign covers four regions of Ukraine and will run until the end of October. The campaign is built around the real stories of women who have developed their skills or businesses with support from «Stiykist: Building a sustainable and inclusive Ukrainian Labor Market», implemented by Helvetas with the support of Sweden (Sida). The campaign features a car restoration specialist, a agricultural entrepreneur and a carpenter. Videos and photographs featuring the women will appear on outdoor advertising near railway stations, on Ukrzaliznytsia’s Intercity trains, in the Kharkiv Metro and across social media.
«Ukraine is facing a growing demand for skilled workers while significant untapped potential for women’s employment remains. One of the reasons is persistent perceptions of which professions are considered “suitable” for women. At the same time, technical and skilled trades today offer real opportunities for employment, professional development and higher incomes. Through the “This Job Is Also Hers” campaign, we want to show the real stories of women who have already taken this step – so that career choices are shaped not by stereotypes, but by skills, interests and opportunities» said Olga Perepechaieva, Helvetas Project Manager.
The campaign addresses women themselves – including internally displaced women, women veterans and women with disabilities – as well as employers and HR professionals. It highlights that training, retraining and support for entering new professions are already available. The digital campaign is expected to reach at least 500,000 users, while the stories of the women featured will receive additional coverage in national and regional media.
The campaign will conclude with a final event in Kyiv, bringing together representatives of the public sector, civil society organisations, employers, international partners and other stakeholders working on employment and professional opportunities for women.
The «This Job Is Also Hers» campaign is implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation with the support of Sweden (Sida) within the framework of «Stiykist: Building a sustainable and inclusive Ukrainian Labor Market».
*The “National labour market survey of Ukraine 2025–2026” was prepared at the initiative of the State Employment Service of Ukraine, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine and Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. The report is based on a survey of almost 61,000 employers and combines the analysis of official statistics and administrative data. It was prepared within the framework of the project «Supporting the reconstruction of communities’ social and financial resilience in war affected communities in Ukraine» funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in partnership with JERU (Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine of Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide).