About 68% of displaced Ukrainian women plan to eventually return to country

This was reported by co-founder of the Ukrainian Women's Congress, Svitlana Voitsekhovska, who spoke during the presentation of the recent study "Prerequisites for Ukrainian women who have found temporary shelter abroad to return to Ukraine to participate in the reconstruction," reports Ukrinform.

"68% of respondents plan to return to Ukraine. "Almost 90% of women now live in two countries," said Voitsekhovska.

In addition, the research shows 52% of the interviewed displaced women remain "optimists" who believe that in five years, Ukraine will be a developed and rebuilt European country or a peaceful country with high development rates.

On the other hand, 43% of respondents are "pessimists" who believe that in five years from now, Ukraine will be in a serious economic crisis or hostilities will continue in the country.

For her part, the executive chief of Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Natalia Kharchenko, specified that out of 68% of Ukrainian women who found shelter abroad and intend to return to Ukraine, only 5% are to do so in the near future.

Among the reasons for remaining abroad the respondents mention: life-threatening hostilities (44%); the possibility of receiving significant assistance for temporarily displaced persons from Ukraine (36.5%); overall higher standard of living in a host country than in Ukraine (36.5%); possible blackouts in winter (35%); better life prospects abroad (32%); frustration about the Ukrainian authorities (31%); mass destruction in their hometown (28%); reluctance to be drafted for military service (personally or regarding a family member) (19%); the desire to stay with family abroad (19%); intimate relationship with a man abroad (18%).

Among the reasons for returning to Ukraine, the interviewed women mention ties with family that remained in Ukraine (40%); love for their homeland precisely the area where they lived (36%); hope for better life prospects in, development of Ukraine (34%), inability to find a job abroad (32%); better well-being of their children in Ukraine (26%); real estate or other property in Ukraine (24.5%); a job in Ukraine (16%); own business in Ukraine (9%).

The survey was conducted by Periscope Research in cooperation with the Mriy.Diy Educational Cluster (Poland) on the order of the Ukrainian Women's Congress with the support of the U-LEAD project with Europe on November 1-12, 2023.

A total of 800 Ukrainian women from 18 host countries were surveyed, mainly from Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany, where the majority of displaced Ukrainians stay.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, 93% of Ukrainians believe in their country’s victory in the war uncleashed by Russia.

Photo: CTK Photo