UKRAINE

Government
In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine became an independent country. The population is 48.5 million (UN, 2003), and the main languages are Ukrainian and Russian. The Ukrainian government is a combination of a parliamentary and presidential republic governed by three bodies: a directly elected President, a Prime Minister who controls a Cabinet of Ministers, and a unicameral Parliament (Rada). The President directly selects the Prime Minister, and he/she selects the Cabinet, who is in turn approved by the President. The Rada is elected according to proportional representation and direct constituency mandate. Judges are theoretically free of any political influence, however, interference by the government is widespread. The 1999 reelection of President Leonid Kuchma was considered neither free nor fair, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). President Kuchma's government has committed to bringing Ukraine closer to joining the European Union and NATO - creating stronger ties to Western Europe. Women comprise 5.6 percent (28 out of 441) of the Radas members. Additionally, women head two out of ten parliamentary factions. In all, women lead 6 out of the 71 political parties in the country.

Economy
The Ukrainian economy is over 70 percent privatized. The economy has suffered greatly since the country's independence, only reaching 48 percent of its pre-independence gross national product (GDP) level. That said, the economy has grown in the last three years: 5.8 percent in 2000, 9 percent in 2001, and 4.1 percent in 2002. Unemployment is at a record high. According to the 2001 Ukrainian People's Security Survey, over 40 percent of the adult population is unemployed, with only 22 percent of them receiving benefits. The same survey concludes that 4/5 of the Ukrainian public do not have access to health care and 2/5 of them have not received wages from their employer in the last three months.

Media and Human Rights
The right to freedom of expression is guaranteed under the Constitution. However, journalists are often instructed and threatened to write particular stories and cover events with a particular focus. Many independent papers were forced to close if the government considered them to be 'opposition papers.' However, the majority of the press is privately owned, and progress has been made to support free speech by a new journalists union. In 2002, 28 reports of physical assault on journalists were reported to the national Reporters Without Borders. In one case, reporter Tatiana Goriacheva, editor of the newspaper Berdyansk Delovoj, was attacked near her home on January 28, 2002 by a man who threw hydrochloric acid in her face.

The freedoms of assembly and association are largely restricted in the country, keeping many nonprofit organizations quiet. Reports of police brutality and unlawful detentions have decreased from 2001 to 2002. Roma and other ethnic minorities of dark color are frequently harassed and unlawfully detained by police. They are often denied entry into shops and health care facilities.

Gender Issues
The Ukrainian Penal Code protects women (and men) from domestic violence under Article 107. However, spousal abuse is not considered a criminal act. Women are often afraid to report domestic violence or rape, for fear that the blame will come back to them. The majority of men in the Ukraine think that beating a wife is an acceptable form of discipline. It is also common for fathers to abuse their daughters.

Sexual harassment on the job is a common occurrence for many Ukrainian women. The Penal Code Article 119 prohibits "compelling a woman into a sexual affair with a person on whom the woman is materially dependent or is subordinate to," and the punishment for this offence is up to 1 year in prison or reformatory work. The majority of women experiencing such abuse rarely report the crime because they fear losing their jobs. This makes it difficult for government and NGOs to establish the true extent of the problem.

Trafficking is a widespread problem in the Ukraine, with the majority of the women and girls being taken to Western Europe, Turkey, and the Balkans. Article 124 of the Penal Code stipulates that trafficking is a punishable offense. Ukraine has also ratified the following international instruments dealing with trafficking: the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention For the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.

Abortion is the major method of 'contraception' in the country. 145 abortions are performed per 100 births. Condoms, birth control pills, and other forms of contraception are available, but highly expensive. Under the Criminal Code Article 109, an illegal abortion performed by a doctor or other person is punishable for up to 1 year in prison or 2 years of correctional labor. All abortions must be done under the prescription of a gynecologist. A 'National Program for Family Planning' was established by the government in 1995 to educate the public and medical staff about safe forms of contraception. According to a recent survey by Naval, a Ukrainian company, 80 percent of the respondents did not know what family planning meant and 35 percent of young people expressed a high interest in information and training about the issue. Currently, schools only offer minimal discussion on the issue, and young people are reluctant to bring up the topic at home.

FAIR Fund and Ukraine
More information coming soon on FAIR Fund's partners in Ukraine.