Tetiana Kovalchuk: The fundamental basis of the activity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the policy of equal opportunities
This was announced today, October 9, by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Tetiana Kovalchuk during the opening of the forum “Gender Policy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: Equal Opportunities for Everyone”.
“The purpose of the forum is to inspire each other, raise problematic issues and find ways to solve them. We want people at all levels of the internal affairs system to understand that equal opportunities policy is the fundamental basis of the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” the deputy interior minister said.
She said that currently more than 22% of women work in the internal affairs system.
“During this year alone, we opened more than 450 positions that previously women could not apply for. Today we have a female head of the canine service, a female diver, the first female general of the National Police,” Tatiana Kovalchuk added.
The deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that the policy of equal opportunities is by no means about the superiority of women over men and granting them privileges only on the basis of gender.
“Gender policy is, first and foremost, about equal access to opportunities. Everyone should be free in their choice. This is what we strive for at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It's what allows little girls and boys to dream,” she said.
Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko noted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the first state body in Ukraine to make gender issues the basis of its activities.
“Your actions towards gender equality are creating new opportunities for women to realize themselves in the security and defense sectors,” she added.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine Roman Vashchuk said that international partners note the systematic steps of the Ministry of Internal Affairs towards gender balance.
“It is in the Ministry of the Interior that has the most thoughtful approach to gender issues,” he said.
At the same time, he stressed that equal opportunities are not just about career growth and female leadership.
“The issue of domestic violence, the role of women in establishing peace in eastern Ukraine, the issue of protection of internally displaced persons — in all this we see consistent progress of the internal affairs bodies,” he added.
Honorary UN Ambassador for Population Masha Yefrosinina congratulated the participants of the forum.
“If you give women rights and access to opportunities, they will never do anything wrong, that's our nature. I wish that none of you ever lose faith in yourself, because today they are not empty words, but real weapons. Defending your position, your right to your position, your salary — that's faith in yourself,” she said.
Among the speakers of the forum were also Deputy Head of the National Police Konstantin Bushuyev, Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service Vasily Servatiuk, Head of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Vladislav Kriklii, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France to Ukraine Isabel Dumon, Head of the Consultative EU Mission Kyastutis Lanchinskas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine Martin Hagström, international partners and representatives of the internal affairs bodies. The forum was held with the support of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine and with the participation of the Ukrainian Association of Law Enforcement Representatives.
During the event, five representatives of law enforcement agencies received awards from the Verkhovna Rada and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
