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July 1993. Kyyiv. Meeting with members of Zhinocha Hromada. агу responsibility for the welfare of the next of kin. Dis eases connected with Chornobyl, disastrous ecological imbalance, faulty nutrition, spread of infections, lack of proper hygienic conditions are problems with which women tend to grapple historically. What’s more, prob lems in the military, especially pernicious hazing practi ces that often led to physical harm and even death of recruits have pushed women rather than men into pub lic activity. Thus, despite their ostensible unwillingness to become involved in issues beyond home and kin, especially in view of the growing grinding tasks of daily existence, women have realized the importance of politi cal and social activity. While men engage in lofty theor ies, developing this or that “conception” of ideology, party, or law, women struggle with procuring basic necessities and essential foodstuffs. More and more women concluded that they cannot do it alone, in the last five years women have established new independ ent women’s organizations or restructured or resurrected old ones. They have not yet reached the stage of creat ing one coordinating body to represent Ukraine on the international forum, but the need for such a body is increasingly recognized and discussed. In 1990 the women took to the streets, holding demonstrations to demand political change, aid for the victims of Chornobyl, and limitation of army service to the territories of Ukraine itself. They quickly realized that demonstrations, while getting the women coverage, did not ensure that their demands would be met. What was needed was a more active and visible role of women in the political process. Between late May and early June, 1993, three conferences were held in Kyyiv on the role of women in the political process and especially in state building. Z h in o c h a H ro m a d a , which had begun as part of the democratic Rukh movement, in the fall of 1992, estab lished its own independent organization that encom passes a vast array of women’s groups in Ukraine and in Eastern Europe. More than any other women’s organiza tion in contemporary Ukraine, it perpetuates the tra tions of Ukrainian women’s organizations of both the pre-1914 and pre-1939 vintage. In addition to its own work, it serves as an umbrella organization for Ukrain ian women’s organizations of women of Jewish origin, those of Tartar descent, and of an organization that seeks to provide support for women who are not ethni cally Ukrainian. This smaller organization is headed by a Korean Ukrainian whose excellent Ukrainian is envied by many from Poltava, the region of purest Ukrainian language and of non-radiated air. The S o c ie ty o f the M o th e rs o f S o ld ie rs and The S o c ie ty fo r M o th e rs o f M a n y C h ild re n are also active members of the H ro m a d a . H r o m a d a women run a meals on wheels program, sup port the victims of Chornobyl, organize pre-school pro grams, and engage in publishing. But their most effec tive role is as a political pressure group. They began with demonstrations — counter demonstrations on March 8, the Socialist Women’s Day; Mother’s Day demonstra tions to introduce or reintroduce this holiday; demon strations on behalf of draft age boys to have them serve exclusively in Ukraine and in the Ukrainian armed for ces, before these forces were established, and demon strations on behalf of democratic causes in Ukraine. These women quickly realized, however, that demon strations are temporary happenings that do not always result in lasting changes. These women realized that for real changes to take root, concerted and constant pres sure needs to be exerted on those in power and they are willing to exert that pressure. With that in mind, the H ro m a d a put together the first International Conference on Women in State Build ing, which was held in Kyyiv, on May 28 through 30, 1993, and in which over 300 women from all of Ukraine participated. Frankly speaking, I was very surprised by this conference. Conferences in Ukraine, I had found out through experience earlier, are, even when planned and organized ahead, rather informal in their adherence to time constraints, speakers, topics, and general thrust ’НАШЕ Ж ИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 1994 15 July 1993, Kyyiv. Conference of Soyuz Ukrainok of Ukraine and the World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations.
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