The Social Position of Young Women in Present-day Ukraine

Abstract

The social status of women in the transitional societies has been, and continues to be, very controversial and contested. This article examines the similarities and differences in social situations of young women in three regions of present-day Ukraine. It discusses their roles in the economy, family, education, and politics. It argues that the socio-economic situation during the transition from a command system to a market economy has affected their lives via the feminisation of poverty, discrimination in the labour market, and declining political representation. A so-called ‘discourse of surviving’ is a response to and, equally, an accurate portrayal of this situation.