Legal basis of the application of gender quotas in Ukraine

Abstract

The article examines the legal basis for the realization of women's political rights in Ukraine. An important condition and guarantee for the establishment of democracy in Ukraine is the equality of women and men in all spheres of life of society and the state. Among the various aspects of the modern perception of the state of women in society and the state, the aspect "woman and politics" occupies a special place. Having analyzed the peculiarities of the realization of women's political rights in Ukraine, it was noted that since 2010, gender quotas have been absent in the electoral legislation of Ukraine. However, gender quotas were introduced for the first time in 2015, but they were not mandatory. According to the new Election Code of Ukraine dated December 19, 2019, gender quotas became a mandatory norm at the nomination stage. It is advisable to change the stereotypes about the role of women in politics, therefore, more attention should be paid to the mass media, which would contribute to the expansion of women's political rights and eliminate prejudiced attitudes towards the role of women in politics. Maintaining the gender quota in the Electoral Legislation of Ukraine plays an important role in the political sphere for all members of society, however, it is necessary to improve the administrative and legal mechanisms for compliance with gender quotas.