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Friday, 26 June 2009 12:11
A gender resource centre opens in Sumy with the help of UNDP
According to Oleg Medunytsya, Deputy Head of Sumy regional State Administration, Sumy region is completely aware of the importance of gender issues and has been making steps for further gender equality development.
"We understand that gender issues touch to every sphere of life, especially gender is related to economic aspects. For example, in rural areas, we have a high rate of unemployed women because economic crisis was especially hard on so-called female professions in agriculture. Today, we have to offer women new opportunities for self-realization and economic stability”.
Valeriy Tolbatov, Deputy Head of Sumy Regional Council, informed that the Council has approved a regional programme on gender equality. However, for its efficient realization, it is necessary to conduct a gender expert research in Sumy region: “I hope that the newly opened gender resource centre will provide a valuable expertise of gender situation in Sumy. Today, we have the so much needed scientific and human resources to conduct this research. With the help of Sumy State University and UNDP we will carry this task as soon as possible”.
Nina Svitailo, Pro-rector of Sumy State University, said that the University has provided two premises for the gender resource center: “We have placed the information room near the central library and equipped it with computers and network. It also has a library on gender issues. On the 7-th floor we have another room for gender seminars and trainings”.
After the press-conference, the participants assisted to the solemn opening of the center and were informed about its capacities.
Iryna Ignatova, the Project's Gender mainstreaming expert, noted that the new gender resource centre had a great capacity and would offer a lot of possibilities for women and men in Sumy region. The centre can pretend to be the best equipped centre of this type in Ukraine.
On the same day, the Memorandum of Understanding between UNDP, Sumy Regional State Administration and Sumy Regional Council was sighed. Sumy became the 9-th region to work and cooperate with UNDPm on gender equality issues.
For more information, contact Mykola Yabchenko (Equal Opportunities and Women's Rights in Ukraine Programme): +38 067 290 55 01, +38 044 569 40 75, mykola.yabchenko AT undp.org.ua.
