The “Invisible Battalion”: Women in ATO Military Operations in Ukraine

Authors

  • Tamara Martsenyuk
  • Ganna Grytsenko
  • Anna Kvit

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18523/kmlpj88192.2016-2.171-187

Keywords:

Ukraine, Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), the Donbas, women, armed forces, female soldiers

Abstract

The study bears a metaphorical title – “The Invisible Battalion” – to reflect the finding that women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in volunteer battalions in the ongoing conflict in the Donbas are not given equal treatment to their male colleagues; their contributions are rarely recognized. The theoretical background of this article brings us to the sociology of the military, gender in organizations, and feminist perspectives of women’s participation in the armed forces. Fieldwork to study women’s participation in the ATO (summer-autumn 2015) was conducted using 42 in-depth semi-structured interviews with women (aged 20–47) who are, or were in the ATO.

Supporting Agency

  • The research was made possible due to the informational and financial support provided by the ICF “Ukrainian Women’s Fund” and the UN Women’s office in Kyiv.

References

  1. Alexievich, Svetlana. U voiny ne zhenskoe litso [War Does Not Have a Woman’s Face]. Moscow: Vremia, 1985.
  2. Caforio, Giuseppe, ed. Handbook of the Sociology of the Military. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2006.
  3. Carreiras, Helena. Gender and the Military: Women in the Armed Forces of Western Democracies. London: Routledge, 2006.
  4. “Concept of the Development of the Defense and Security Sector of Ukraine.” March 14, 2016. Accessed September 27, 2016. http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/922016-19832.
  5. Decree No. 292 “On Amendments to the Interim List of Staff Positions for Privates, Sergeants, Sergeants-Major and Female Military Service Personnel and About the Tariff List of Service Personnel in the Above-mentioned Positions.” Accessed September 27, 2016. http://zakon0.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z0880-16.
  6. Decree of the President of Ukraine “On the National Defense Bulletin.” May 20, 2016. Accessed September 27, 2016.
  7. http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/2402016-20137.
  8. Dubchak, Natalia. “Zhinky u Zbroinykh Sylakh Ukrainy: Problemy gendernoi polityky [Women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Towards the Problem of Gender Politics].” Stratehichni prioriytety 9.4 (2008): 187–92.
  9. Goldman, Nancy. “The Changing Role of Women in the Armed Forces.” American Journal of Sociology 78.4 (1973): 892–911.
  10. Harris, Beverly C., Zita M. Simutis, and Melissa M. Gantz. Women in the US Army. An Annotated Bibliography, No. ARI-SR-48. U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Science ALEXANDRIA VA, 2002.
  11. Holm, Jeanne. Women in the Military: An Unfinished Revolution. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1992.
  12. “Hranatometnykom chy komandyrom BMP teper mozhe buty i zhinka [A Woman Can Now be a Grenade Launcher or APC Commander].” Ministerstvo oborony Ukrainy, July 15, 2016. Accessed September 27, 2016. http://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2016/07/15/granatometnikom-chi-komandirom-bmp-teper-mozhe-buti-i-zhinka--/.
  13. “Informatsiino-dovidkovyi material shchodo hendernoi polityky u Zbroinykh Sylakh Ukrainy [Informational Material on Gender Policy in the Armed Forces of Ukraine].” E-document provided by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
  14. In the Crosscurrents: Addressing Discrimination and Inequality in Ukraine. The Equal Rights Trust Country Report Series: 5. London, August 2015. Accessed September 25, 2016.
  15. http://www.gay.org.ua/publications/antidi_report2015-e.pdf.
  16. “Maizhe tysiacha ukrainok vzialy uchast v ATO [Almost One Thousand of Ukrainian Women have Taken Part in the ATO].” UNIAN, October 9, 2015. Accessed September 25, 2016. http://www.unian.ua/war/1147650-mayje-tisyacha-jinok-viyskovoslujbovtsiv-vzyali-uchast-v-ato.html.
  17. Martsenyuk, Tamara, Ganna Grytsenko, and Anna Kvit. “Invisible Battalion”: Women’s Participation in ATO Military Operations (Sociological Research). Kyiv: UWF, 2016.
  18. Martsenyuk, Tamara. “Gender and Revolution in Ukraine: Women’s Participation in Euromaidan Protests of 2013–2014.” Perspectives on Europe 44.2 (2014): 15–22.
  19. “National Security Strategy.” May 6, 2015. Accessed September 25, 2016. http://zakon3.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/287/2015.
  20. “NATO News: 40th Anniversary of the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives.” May 31, 2016. Accessed September 25, 2016. http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_131710.htm.
  21. Onuch, Olga, and Tamara Martsenyuk. “Mothers and Daughters of the Maidan: Gender, Repertoires of Violence, and the Division of Labour in Ukrainian Protests.” Social, Health, and Communication Studies Journal 1.1 (2014): 80–101.
  22. Sasson-Levy, Orna. “Feminism and Military Gender Practices: Israeli Women Soldiers in ‘Masculine’ Roles.” Sociological Inquiry 73.3 (2003): 440–65.
  23. Schuurman, Marriët. “NATO and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: Time to Bring It Home.” Connections 14.3 (2015): 1–7.
  24. Segal, Mady Wechsler. “Women’s Military Roles Cross-Nationality: Past? Present? And Future.” Gender & Society 9.6 (1995): 757–75.
  25. “Sustainable Development Strategy ‘Ukraine 2020.’” Accessed September 25, 2016. http://zakon5.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/5/2015.
  26. Women, U.N. “Preventing Conflict, Transforming Justice, Securing the Peace: A Global Study on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2015).” Accessed September 25, 2016. http://wps.unwomen.org/~/media/files/un%20women/wps/highlights/unw-global-study-1325-2015.pdf.
  27. Women and Men on the Ukrainian Labor Market: A Comparative Study of Ukraine and the EU. Kyiv: VAitE Company, 2011.

Downloads

Published

2016-12-27

How to Cite

Martsenyuk, T., Grytsenko, G., & Kvit, A. (2016). The “Invisible Battalion”: Women in ATO Military Operations in Ukraine. Kyiv-Mohyla Law and Politics Journal, (2), 171–187. https://doi.org/10.18523/kmlpj88192.2016-2.171-187