The Strength of the Women in Ukraine
The former Miss Ukraine is now fighting on the frontlines of Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine War and she has become a symbol for the women of the country. When her instagram used to be filled with images of model-like poses, it is now filled with the news of the war and images showcasing her support for her country. It isn’t shocking that women are now defending their country right alongside the men, these women are just showing their love for their country. When it comes to war, women fighting is the “deadliest form of feminism” because “nobody wants gender equality in war because no one wants war”.
Another symbol for the strength of women and the common citizens of Ukraine has become the old lady who handed Russian soldiers sunflower seeds so that Ukraine’s national flower would grow once the aggressor was gone. A few other incredibly strong women (among many others) are Inna Schevchenko, member of the FEMEN organization; Olena Selenska, The First Lady of Ukraine; Natalia Klitschko, a former model and wife of a Ukrainian politician. All these women have raised their voices and arms against the war to bring back the peace in their country.
There are also millions of brave women who have also been on the streets day and night defending their country with their impromptu military training. It takes an incredible amount of strength to look death in the eye to protect their country so one day their children can live in peace once again. Also, many female nurses have been tending to the wounded and patients inside bunkers and in underground areas to stay safe from the bombings. The amount of resourcefulness that these women have shown is absolutely super human as they have tended patients from premature infants to wounded soldiers with barely any materials or help.
In the words of the Russian author, Svetlana Alexiwich, on World War II, “Women’s war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. Its own words. There are no heroes and incredible feats, there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.”
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/03/01/ukraine-women/
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/frieden-feminismus-4-starke-ukrainische-frauen/
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/3/15/another-deeply-gendered-war-is-being-waged-in-ukraine