At a training ground on the edge of Kyiv, female Ukrainian cadets donned new, specially designed military uniforms. The event aimed to simulate combat conditions, testing the efficiency and comfort of these uniforms.
More than 42,000 women currently serve in Ukraine’s armed forces, with an estimated 5,000 of them engaged in combat units. However, they have all been issued male uniforms, which often prove ill-fitting and uncomfortable. The social initiative, Arm Women Now, has sought to address this by creating and distributing several thousand uniforms tailored for servicewomen, all provided free of charge.
Ukrainian servicewomen get their first-ever standard military uniform
Previously, they had men's uniform which fit badly, or had to get it from abroad. This batch of 300 uniforms was sewn by volunteers of the Arm Women Now project
H/t @zminaUA https://t.co/pOXMNLRShu pic.twitter.com/vqKGOk6iTq— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 19, 2022
Female soldiers often have to resort to sourcing women’s uniforms from other countries’ forces or wear baggy, oversized outfits. The new uniforms, which come in popular sizes like XS and XXS, are designed to provide a more comfortable and better-fitting alternative.
Project founder and Ukrainian parliament member, Iryna Nykorak, expressed her hope that all women serving in the Ukrainian military could soon benefit from the new design. Her non-profit organization is currently negotiating with the Defense Ministry to provide the new uniforms as standard issue for all female personnel.
“It seems to me that if a woman has taken up arms and is defending her home, her family, and her country, then she should at least have a comfortable uniform,” Nykorak said.
In addition to the uniforms, the project also focuses on providing appropriate underwear for combat missions, which Nykorak stressed is different from that worn by civilians.
