In July 2015, at the ceremony where the new police were sworn in, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Eka Zguladze, received a present from her male colleagues, an embroidered shirt with an inscription reading “The ‘berehynia’ of police” (‘berehynia’ means ‘patroness of hearth’ in Ukrainian) . The meaning of this symbolic gesture remains contested. Thanks to the recent reforms, the number of women in Ukrainian police force has risen significantly, which helps women to establish themselves in the role of active agents of change. This conversation is about overcoming outdated stereotypes, the multiple realities of women’s experience and the democratization of society by involving women in fields which used to be considered strictly male.
The discussion accompanies the opening of a photo exhibition by Misha Friedman entitled Ukrainian Dream, which will take place on the 2nd floor of the Cinema House at 4 p.m. The exhibition will be open between March 26 and April 1.
