On 23-25 January 2024, the High School, together with the National Democratic Institute NDI, conducted training for public servants – gender equality specialists from responsible structural units of the Regional Military Administrations.

The event was supported by the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy. Kateryna Levchenko stressed the relevance of the training, as gender-oriented governance is a tool for ensuring gender equality in society and involves taking into account gender differences and the needs of women and men in all areas of public authorities. It is important to take into account the characteristics and needs of different population groups when making decisions, developing policies and programmes, allocating resources and providing services.

Yuliia Lykhach, Director of the High School, noted that the idea of creating a programme that would cover gender policy issues, tools, and European practices had been around for a long time. And in 2023, after extensive work with experts, such a programme was developed and adapted for civil servants and representatives of local self-government bodies. As part of this programme, trainings were held for civil servants of category “A”, for representatives of the Kyiv City State Administration, and for specialists whose activities are related to the development and implementation of gender-responsive governance policies and programmes.

The High School is implementing a systematic approach to organising training, taking into account the specifics of the work. An online course is currently being finalised, and a manual for trainers is being prepared.
In 2024, a number of events on gender-responsive governance are planned with international partners. And this training started the cycle of training in the new year.

For three days, the trainers Natalia Tarasenko, an expert of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on gender-oriented governance, Head of the Board of the NGO “Parity”, and Oksana Yarosh, a consultant of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Doctor of Political Science, worked with the participants.

The students focused on the issues of gender strategy for sustainable development, methods of gender analysis for making effective management decisions.

They also considered what gender-responsive budgeting, gender audit of an institution, as well as gender stereotypes and discrimination are.

Such practice-oriented training will help participants to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to implement a gender-oriented approach in their professional activities, to make the transition from theoretical concepts, terms and definitions to practical solutions in the real life of the community, city, etc.