Launch of She Drives 2.0: partnerships to engage women in transportation

The restoration of Ukraine's transport sector requires not only investments in infrastructure, but also the development of human capital. In conditions of personnel shortage, the transport industry is increasingly opening up to women, creating new opportunities for professional realization and, at the same time, strengthening the country's ability to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical services.

This is precisely what the new stage of the She Drives initiative is dedicated to, which unites the state, international partners, business and educational institutions around a common goal - to make professions in the transport sector more accessible to women and create conditions for their successful employment.

On July 23, 2026, the event "Launch of She Drives 2.0: Partnerships to Attract Women to the Transport Sector" was held in Kyiv, organized by the public organization FID within the framework of the She Drives project, which is implemented at the initiative of the Ministry of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport of Ukraine in partnership with the UN Women in Ukraine.

The event became a platform for forming new partnerships between state authorities, employers, vocational education institutions, international organizations, and the expert community. Such interaction is a key condition for women to not only receive professional training, but also find a job, undergo adaptation in the workplace, and build a long-term career in the transport sector.

The participants were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport of Ukraine, Serhiy Derkach; UN Women Representative in Ukraine, Sabine Fraser Gunesh and Executive Director of the NGO FID, head of the She Drives project, Kateryna Datsko.

During the event, the project team presented the vision for the development of She Drives 2.0 for 2026–2027. The new stage involves further expanding opportunities for professional training for women, deepening cooperation with employers, and developing a comprehensive support model that covers the entire path of participants—from training to employment.

Special attention was paid to the issues of professional education development, modern requirements of the transport industry, necessary competencies, and professional standards. Business representatives shared their vision of personnel needs, discussed opportunities for internships, mentoring, and adaptation of new employees, as well as approaches to creating a safe, inclusive, and responsible working environment.

An important event was the signing of memorandums of cooperation with Khmelnytskyi Municipal Enterprise “Electrotrans,” Zaporizhzhia Municipal Enterprise of City Electric Transport “Zaporizhelectrotrans,” Additional Liability Company “Kharkiv Motor Transport Enterprise No. 16363” and the Public Association MAPA.

The purpose of signing the memorandums was to establish long-term cooperation for the joint development of women's professional opportunities in the transport industry, coordinate interaction between the parties, conduct consultations, create working groups and implement joint initiatives aimed at overcoming the personnel shortage and expanding employment opportunities for women in the transport sector. The event ended with partner networking, during which the participants discussed further steps in cooperation.

The “She Drives” initiative, which aims to expand the professional potential of women in the transportation sector, is implemented within the framework of UN Women Ukraine’s Strategic Note (2025–2029), with financial support from the Governments of Austria, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Finland, France, and Sweden. The project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport of Ukraine and the NGO “Foundation for Institutional Development”.  

Photo: Samokhina Natalia