Resolution 1325 in action: Ukrainian delegation highlights gender policy localization in the EU

In late May 2025, a Ukrainian delegation traveled to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium as part of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda Brings Results Locally in Ukraine initiative. The project is led by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund in cooperation with the WO=MEN international gender platform, based in The Hague, and supported by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

During the visit, the delegation presented Ukraine’s experience in localizing UN Security Council Resolution 1325, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to security, one that extends beyond physical safety to include environmental, informational, and societal dimensions. Delegates also stressed the critical role of regional authorities in advancing gender policy at the local level.

The outcomes of the visit were shared during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine.

“On the one hand, we had meaningful insights to contribute; on the other, there was much to learn from our international counterparts,” said Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Policy of Ukraine. “We heard powerful remarks from Pramila Patten, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict; Katarzyna Kotula, Poland’s Minister for Equality; and Irene Fellin, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security. It was a truly multidimensional dialogue that confirmed Ukraine’s active role in the European community and its steady progress toward a society grounded in equal rights and opportunities.”

Natalia Karbowska, Director on Strategic Development at the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, noted that the visit provided a valuable platform to share Ukraine’s successful experience in implementing the National Action Plan for implementation of Resolution 1325 with Dutch colleagues.

“This trip was another chapter in our broader international engagement,” Karbowska said. “We found ourselves learning less from our Dutch partners and more from reflecting on our own journey, how we approach the Women. Peace. Security agenda in a broader sense. We’re not only addressing physical protection or shelters; we’re also tackling environmental and economic security, access to education and information, and efforts to counter disinformation. Our European partners must recognize that these challenges are not unique to Ukraine, they affect them as well.”

Karbowska added that each of these trips, including the most recent one, included representatives from regional Coalitions 1325 and local government officials. Their participation, she said, is vital to implementing gender policies on the ground.

Halyna Zhukovska, Senior Referent of the Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy of Ukraine, emphasized that the visit came at a critical moment: Ukraine is currently drafting its third UNSCR 1325 National Action Plan. “In particular, we explored issues of security and the evolving challenges in this space,” Zhukovska said. “We looked closely at how international best practices might inform our own national strategy.”

She highlighted four key frameworks shared by international partners for understanding security: a holistic approach, human security, comprehensive security, and inclusive security.

Zhukovska also noted that the draft version of Ukraine’s National Action Plan 1325 has been circulated to both central and local executive bodies for official feedback.

“And by June 10, we expect an official confirmation that the plan was developed jointly, with input from central government agencies, local authorities, and the 1325 coalitions,” she said.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news