Machinist, tractor driver, and truck driver. Discover the "masculine" professions that women in Ukraine are embracing.
The full-scale war in Ukraine has posed a challenge for the labor market and significantly transformed it. Women are increasingly taking on traditionally "male" professions in industries such as manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture.
More about the professions where women are replacing men and where retraining can be pursued, RBK-Ukraine reported from the State Employment Service.
The number of job vacancies for women in "male" professions has increased
In Ukraine, equality of labor rights for both genders is enshrined at the legislative level.
The state guarantees protection against discrimination in employment, particularly based on the age or gender of the job applicant. There are penalties for violating these established rules.
For this reason, job advertisements submitted by employers to the employment service are prohibited from offering positions exclusively to women or men, except for specific jobs that can only be performed by individuals of a certain gender.
At the same time, the full-scale war has created a labor market issue with a shortage of personnel.
As noted by the State Employment Service (SES) in response to a request from RBK-Ukraine, due to the shortage of labor, particularly as a result of men being called up for military service, there are difficulties in filling vacancies in professions traditionally sought after by men (builders, welders, locksmiths, electricians, drivers, etc.).
Are stereotypes fading? What atypical professions are Ukrainian women choosing?
The current situation with the labor shortage is changing stereotypes regarding so-called "male" professions that women have begun to pursue.
Photo: Women are increasingly choosing jobs in manufacturing (Getty Images)
The SES provided data indicating that from the beginning of 2024 (up to October 22), the following number of women were employed in:
- 254 women – as woodworking machine operators;
- 185 women – pump station operators;
- 86 women – crane operators;
- 86 women – assembly locksmiths;
- 75 women – drivers;
- 63 women – loaders;
- 63 women – electricians;
- 53 women – CNC machine operators;
- 44 women – miners;
- 34 women – underground installation operators;
- 22 women – crane operators in metallurgy;
- 20 women – forklift drivers.
However, the Employment Service notes that the employment of women in professions that are conditionally considered "male" has not yet become widespread.
Where can women acquire a new specialty?
Ukrainian women have access to training programs for new professions and retraining. These are implemented by the SES in vocational education centers located in Lviv, Odesa, Sumy, Dnipro, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, and Kharkiv. Training can also take place in educational institutions of various forms of ownership.
There are 96 available trades and 400 educational programs to choose from.
For unemployed individuals registered with the Employment Service, such training is free and is funded by the State Fund for Mandatory State Social Insurance of Ukraine.
It is worth noting that among the total number of registered unemployed, women account for 78%.
For individuals not registered with the SES, there is an opportunity to obtain a voucher for training. This document allows for free qualification enhancement or acquiring a new profession from a list of 155 professions and specialties approved by the Ministry of Economy.
Since the beginning of 2024, over 20,000 Ukrainians have received vouchers, including 15.4 thousand women.
The most vouchers have been issued for specialties such as nursing, psychology, preschool education, social work, medicine, and secondary education (by subject specialization).
Photo: Women can obtain a voucher for retraining (Getty Images)
A significant number of vouchers have also been issued for training in professions such as chef, driver, junior nurse for patient care, pastry chef, salesperson, seamstress, and tailor.
At the same time, women have received vouchers for professions traditionally considered "male":
- tractor driver (150 women)
- woodworking machine operator (22 women)
- tile setter (21 women)
- repair locksmith for wheeled vehicles (10 women)
- insulation system installer (8 women)
- drywall installer (6 women)
- electric gas welder (5 women)
- forklift driver (5 women)
- electrician (3 women)
Based on the voucher, retraining is conducted for a working profession; training for a specialty to obtain a master's degree based on a bachelor's or master's degree obtained in another specialty; training at the next level of education (except for the third (educational-scientific/educational-creative) and scientific level of higher education); specialization and qualification enhancement in professions and specialties.
The cost of the voucher cannot exceed ten times the minimum subsistence level for working-age individuals (currently this is 30,280 UAH).
Applications for vouchers can be submitted online on the State Employment Service portal.
For more detailed information on how the salaries of men and women differ in Ukraine, and what the government offers to address this issue, you can read in a separate article.
We also previously reported on which professions are currently in short supply in the Ukrainian labor market.