The sacralization of women in Ukrainian society
A woman is a writer, volunteer and doctor. A woman is a teacher, an artist and avenger. A woman is a human rights defender and an innovator. A woman is a scientist. A woman is a singer and an actress. A woman is a postman. Ultimately a woman is a warrior.
This is how I answer the question ,,who is a Ukrainian woman for me?'' today. Since the beginning of the war, Ukrainian society has changed more and more every year. In the eyes of many people, the role of women in times of crisis changed again and again. Now, in the new heated phase of the war, which began on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian society has again undergone new changes. And again we are talking about the role of women on three levels. The role of a woman as a mother and the one who protects her own children from danger, the role of a woman as a worker who day after day goes to work in the morning, despite rocket fire, the constantly moving front line and the constant threat, all forces in the fist clenched. And this in order to ensure at least relative economic stability in their own country. And finally, the third category of women are warriors. Also warriors in every sense. Warriors who are not afraid to take up arms to defend their homeland, their village, their city, their country. Warriors who fight with words - it's mostly about women in science, writers and journalists.
In the category of women warriors I include women of culture who depict the horrors of war on their screens, make films about their own experiences or document disputes on the battlefield. I believe that the picture of Ukrainian women, that has been formed abroad and that has been collected and disseminated today, is really fair and corresponds to reality. It completely erases from a woman all norms and stereotypes imposed by society, and in turn emphasizes genuine biological instincts (it is primarily about a woman who is the
protector of the family) and at the same time a clearly formed moral civic position and role in society.
This is how I come to my subjective conclusions that feminism is a valuable part of what women in Ukraine and Iran are exuding in their own behavior today. In such a time of crisis, people are looking for something that could help them gather strength and fight, for example and new values. This is what Ukrainian women do today in the framework of European integration and multiculturalism in the first case, or they return to ancient, forgotten or once banned by Russia on the territory of Ukraine sacred values, which were clearly formulated already at the beginning of the 11th century and even recorded in written sources. It is about a strong Ukrainian army, clergy and language, the Ukrainian language. It is these sacred values of the Ukrainian state in combination with newly acquired views and values that are a prerequisite of modern society and civilization - we are talking about democracy and gender equality - that have become the drivers that continue to help Ukrainian women to fight for their rights.
The right to their own state, the right to their own language and ultimately the right to liberty, which is a common unifying feature of many of the above categories.
A Ukrainian woman is part of the LGBT community. A Ukrainian woman who has a different citizenship but is still committed to the values inherent in Ukrainians. Ukrainian woman in sweatpants and evening dresses. Ukrainian women are different, and this is where all their uniqueness is manifested. Ukrainian women are a phenomenon today.
A phenomenon and an example of courage.
By Bohdana Semeniuk
