Honoring the Strength of Ukrainian Women on This International Women’s Day
As the only daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, my thoughts on this International Women’s Day are with Odesa, the city on Black Sea in which I was born and that is under siege, and with the people of Ukraine who are trapped in a senseless war. While traditionally this day is one on which women worldwide celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, this year, it must also be one on which we recognize the sacrifice that many Ukrainian women are making in this historic time.
One headline in particular stood out to me last week: The Washington Post declared “The Strength of Ukrainian Women Is on Display.” In this moving article, its author Monica Hesse writes, “It’s hard to write about women fighting in Ukraine, a topic of interest to many news outlets, and not get a little too golly-gee about it or miss the point entirely. What is the point here? Are we saying it’s shocking that women might love their country as much as men do? Are we saying women should be praised more than men for placing themselves in bodily harm? No and no.” She continues, “in any case, women fighting in deadly battles is the darkest sort of feminism: Nobody wants gender equality in war because nobody wants war.” The article is about that – about how women are taking up arms despite that being something that most of them never wanted to do (and don’t want to do now) – but they are doing so to protect their families and their country. Women make up 15% of the Ukrainian armed forces, which is about the same percentage of women that are in the American military. Most of you have seen the iconic image of Miss Ukraine, Anastasiia Lenna, wearing khaki and cradling an assault rifle. It is a long road from pageant queen to armed guard.
I admire the strength and resilience of Ukrainian women, including mothers of Ukrainian soldiers, protecting their country and families in this horrific time of war. My mom and dad had the strength and courage to leave a communist bloc country to immigrate to America when I was a teenager to give me a future in a free country. All along, they raised me in a gender-neutral way, in school, sports, and hobbies. They raised me to be tough and to do what it takes to attain and to lead a fulfilling life, not as a woman, but as a human being and citizen of a country that we had chosen for its freedom. When I think about the Ukrainian women fighting today, on International Women’s Day, my hope is that they, and their families and their children, soon will know a better life – one of a lasting peace.
This post originally appeared on LinkedIn