In Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, a revolution is brewing amidst the backdrop of war, as women enter roles traditionally held by men. Kateryna Koliadiuk, a 19-year-old agronomy student, took a leap of faith when she enrolled in a tractor driving course, intrigued by an advertisement. Initially daunted by the complexity and size of the industrial vehicle, she was hesitant about her ability to handle it. “I was so scared at first. I didn’t think I could do this,” Koliadiuk confessed. However, soon her confidence grew, and now she effortlessly maneuvers the tractor, her well-manicured fingers resting on the wheel with assurance.
As the war with Russia rages on, many Ukrainian women are stepping into roles once filled by men who have been called to the front lines. In addition to operating machinery, some women have even enlisted in the armed forces. Koliadiuk’s decision to take on this challenge initially bewildered her family. “We were always told that women belonged in the kitchen, at home with the children. That made the idea of learning to operate such heavy machinery intimidating,” she said. “But we learned to trust ourselves.”
This shift is part of a critical government strategy aimed at revitalizing Ukraine’s economy, which has been severely affected by three years of conflict, and addressing labor shortages due to the mobilization, explained the economy ministry leading training initiatives in sectors such as construction, agriculture, and transport, all targeted towards women.
“Ukrainian women are shouldering a significant burden because their partners are on the battlefield,” stated Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who has become Ukraine’s first female economy minister and a testament to the increasing presence of women in the labor force amid the war. With about 5 million Ukrainians abroad and another million serving in the military from a labor force of only around 9 million, businesses are eager to hire again after the initial shock of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Before the conflict, women predominantly worked in fields like education and healthcare, social protection, and government. Now, the demand has shifted towards industrial and military roles. “Both women and employers are experiencing a mindset shift,” noted Svyrydenko. “Employers are increasingly open to hiring women, and women are eager to expand their skill set.”
In Ukraine’s eastern industrial hub, women now operate machinery in coal mines, a domain traditionally dominated by men who handle heavy physical tasks. Iryna Ostanko, a 37-year-old former accountant, sought a fresh career path and became an elevator operator at a mine in the Dnipropetrovsk region, inspired by her husband, a long-time mine worker who supported her choice. “Previously, no women worked underground here,” she shared. “They started appearing after the full-scale invasion kicked off and many men left to defend the nation.”
Ostanko underwent a month of theoretical training followed by a month of practical experience before descending 260 meters into the mine’s depths, a once inconceivable journey. “War always brings change,” observed Viktor Kuznetsov, the mine’s chief engineer. A lack of skilled workers, owing to men joining the fight, led him to hire over 100 women since the Russian escalation, a critical decision without which the mine could not sustain operations.
Nearby in the Kyiv region, Yulia Skitchko observed new female operators maneuver excavators, her muddy high-heeled boots a testament to their shared determination. As the head of Alef Stroy, a construction machinery rental company, Skitchko long aspired to hire more women. The conflict provided the opportunity she sought, alongside U.S. funding which enabled training for female recruits—45 women have received training to date. “People told us we were crazy. Women with excavators? Never,” she recalled. “Yet now, our first batch of female graduates are employed and actively working on construction sites.”
Skitchko emphasized that modern building equipment is easier to handle, and the belief that women cannot manage it is simply a gender stereotype. “This war has transformed women’s mindsets—they are eager to aid in Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts,” she asserted. “We must grant them the chance to learn.”