ABSTRACT

This study aims to define the roles of local self-government and public administration within the framework of comprehensive defence, incorporating the gender dimension of Ukraine’s public policy. For a long time, the involvement of women in vital state processes, particularly within the security and defence sectors, received little attention due to various factors, including gender stereotypes. However, Ukraine’s European integration movement has created the conditions for revising the existing legal framework. This issue became particularly urgent during the war, as a significant number of responsibilities for decision-making in the security and defence sectors under decentralisation were assigned to local self-government bodies and newly formed civil-military administrations. The study provides a qualitative analysis of current legislation governing comprehensive defence within the competencies of local self-government bodies and executive authorities. It presents data from expert surveys conducted among local officials to identify legal implementation practices and the obstacles public officers and politicians face. The study identifies remaining opportunities to strengthen women’s involvement in comprehensive defence at the local level in recent years, particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Keywords: defence, comprehensive defence, public administration, local self-government, gender equality, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ukraine.

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT
ACRONYMS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER 1. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE DEFENCE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
Summary of Chapter 1
CHAPTER 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE DEFENCE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN UKRAINE
2.1. General Trends and Challenges
2.2. Community Self-Organisation as the Foundation of Resilience
2.3. Interaction with Military Administrations and State Structures
2.4. The Role of Women in Ensuring Comprehensive Defence
2.5. Volunteer and Veteran Networks as a Component of Defence
2.6. Resources, Human Capital, and Bureaucracy
Summary of Chapter 2
CHAPTER 3. THE SWEDISH EXPERIENCE IMPLEMENTING COMPREHENSIVE DEFENCE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
3.1. The Concept and Key Principles of Comprehensive Defence in Sweden
3.2. The Role of Municipalities in the Comprehensive Defence System
3.3. Collaboration with the Military and Regional Authorities
Summary of Chapter 3
CONCLUSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES
ANNEX: INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES AND EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“Community resilience is not just about shelters and air defence; it is about people’s confidence that they will be cared for in any crisis.”
Yuliia Darnytska, Member of the Chernihiv City Council, interview

This study examines the role of local self-government (LSG) and state administration bodies in forming Ukraine’s comprehensive defence system, incorporating a gender perspective.

Analysis of the regulatory and legal framework shows that while Ukrainian legislation defines the principles of comprehensive defence, the role of LSG remains fragmented. Powers are duplicated between LSG bodies and military administrations, which complicates coordination and reduces the efficiency of local governance. The gender component is not systematically integrated into most regulatory acts, and the implementation of the National Action Plan for United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security remains inconsistent at the local level.

Expert interviews with representatives of LSGs and executive authorities from Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Volyn oblasts show that communities have taken on a significant share of security, humanitarian response, and population support functions. Despite a lack of resources and an unclear distribution of powers, it is the local level that has become the hub of resilience in crises. Women are actively involved in the work of authorities, yet their participation in decision-making processes within the defence sector remains insufficient.

Analysis of the Swedish model shows that the success of comprehensive defence is built on a partnership between the military, municipalities, business, and civil society. Swedish municipalities have clearly defined responsibilities in the field of civil preparedness, and coordination between levels of government is carried out through permanent cooperation platforms.

Ukraine should adapt these approaches by strengthening the role of local councils and communities, ensuring their resource capacity, integrating gender policy into the security sector, and establishing mechanisms for civil-military cooperation at the oblast level.

The research was conducted by the CSO “Expert Resource Gender in Detail” as part of the project “Gender Mainstreaming in the Context of Comprehensive Defence”, funded by the grant “Best Practices of the Swedish Gender Approach as a Tool for Empowering Ukrainian Women to Implement Sustainable Reforms and Promote Ukraine’s European Integration”, with financial support from the Swedish Institute and in partnership with the Swedish International Liberal Centre.

The project draws on gender mainstreaming practices within Sweden’s comprehensive defence system and represents the first attempt in the Ukrainian context to explore the possibilities of implementing a Swedish-style comprehensive defence strategy in Ukraine while simultaneously integrating a gender perspective across key sectors, including the economy, care work, the armed forces, civil defence, governance, information policy, and the volunteer movement.

The project’s concept author and project lead is Tamara Zlobina, PhD in Philosophy and Head of the CSO “Expert Resource Gender in Detail”.

Project mentors and reviewers of the analytical reports:
Olena Strelnyk, Doctor of Sociological Sciences
Hanna Hrytsenko, Gender Expert

Project managers: Alyona Hruzina, Halyna Repetska