By Aurora Malave, CSEEES Summer 2025 Intern

Ukraine and Russia are countries with strict gender roles for women. Women are meant to be beautiful, a mother, a housekeeper, and protected by men. The ongoing war has shaken the way women are viewed. Feminine ideals are being challenged, by the hardships of war or directly by the government itself.

In Ukraine, the ideal woman was defined by her appearance. However, beauty is not sufficient to survive a war. Last May, Playboy had a photo shoot featuring female soldiers and injured civilians - showcasing their strength and beauty. The perfect woman is now defined by new characteristics. She is patriotic, brave, and strong—qualities that will help her withstand a war. 

Just like before the war, the ideal woman is still a mother. However, the definition of a good mother is adapting. In February of 2022, Ukraine introduced martial law, forbidding men ages 18 to 60 from leaving the country. As a result, roughly 90% of Ukrainian refugees are women. Men also tend to face more difficulty traveling. This means most internally displaced persons (IDPs) are women as well. 53% of IDPs have children. 

The rise of single mothers has shifted the traditional nuclear family structure. Mothers in Ukraine must adopt new characteristics. They must become the breadwinner, the head of the household. They can no longer rely on a man to guide them.

A Ukrainian mother walks with her daughter along the road from the Hungarian-Ukrainian border crossing near Beregsurany, Hungary, some 300 km from the Hungarian capital on February 25, 2022. Photo by Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images.

Women who did not flee filled the jobs men left behind. To maintain the economy, many women have taken on more masculine careers. It is prohibited for women in Ukraine to work in jobs with “harmful and dangerous conditions”- except for under martial law. Now, Ukrainian women can work in male-dominated fields like mining and heavy industry.

Helena (R) and her brother Bodia (L) from Lviv are seen at the Medyka pedestrian border crossing, in eastern Poland on February 26, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo by Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images.

Ukrainian women are also helping fight the ongoing war in a variety of ways. 17% of Ukrainian women joined or volunteered to join the armed forces. Women who do not join the military contribute to the war efforts in other areas—volunteering, helping with humanitarian aid, providing shelter to IDPs, and taking care of others. On average, Ukrainian women perform up to 56 hours of unpaid labor in childcare per week. Childcare, and other work normally performed by women, tends to be undervalued.  Despite their contributions to the war efforts, Ukrainian media continues to portray women as victims and men as defenders. Women’s roles in war are viewed as ‘passive’, while men are displayed as taking a more active role in the war  This narrative of women in need of saving motivates men to fight.  War requires flexibility. Women must act masculine when needed but be feminine when it is beneficial.

Women’s issues are more prominent during the war but are also more ignored. Gender-based violence in Ukraine has increased by 36%.  Rape by Russian soldiers is a threat to many Ukrainian women, and the rise of PTSD in soldiers may increase domestic violence. Due to the other prevailing conflict at hand, there is less attention given to women’s issues. This contrast between shifting gender roles and increased social issues for women may result in social change after the war. Similar to WW2, where American women fought and took unorthodox jobs, resulting  in a fight for social change and equality, helping pave the way for gender equality having a lasting impact on the nation.

In Russia, both traditional Russian women and modern feminists oppose Putin’s war. Historically, Russian mothers have used their status to protest military conflicts. The Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers (CSM) is known for being a disruptive force. A group of devoted mothers clashes with the image Putin paints of his enemies and poses a real threat. In this war, Putin has been able to mostly suppress CSM. However, now the wives of soldiers have taken a larger role in protesting the government.

The Way Home Wives protesting for the return of their loved ones. Photo by The Way Home Wives via The Militant.

 The Way Home Wives is a channel set up on the social media platform Telegram composed of soldiers’ wives. Although The Way Home Wives are not considered a real threat by the government, there have been attempts to appease these women. The Russian government is increasing benefits for military families. 

Putin has tried to reward the wives and mothers of mobilized soldiers in other ways. During Women’s Day, Russian officials gave a variety of gifts. Some women received money, others were offered jobs that paid below average, and one was offered a meat grinder. These ‘prizes’ demonstrate how Putin expects mothers to take on a sacrificing nature and prioritize the state over their families in war-time. 

 Similar to the Way Home Wives, groups such as The Feminist Anti-War Resistance used similar tactics. Both groups released a manifesto, used anti-war stickers, and protests. This war has Russian women from a variety of backgrounds involved in the political sphere.

In both Ukraine and Russia, women find the parts they have been assigned to are changing. In the years to come, these two countries may see women take a new place in society.