Men Are Already Writing Off Ukraine’s New Prime Minister

4 comments

1. Anna Nemstova: “This month, the Ukrainian government made an unusual choice for its new prime minister. In a rare move for the country—and indeed for most of Eastern Europe—it picked a woman. Yulia Svyrydenko, a 39-year-old selected by President Volodymyr Zelensky and approved by Parliament, will lead the government in a period of intense uncertainty, as Russia escalates its offensive, Europe revamps its security commitments, and the Trump administration waffles on the war.

   “Some Ukrainian and Western observers have suggested that Svyrydenko isn’t up to the task, in part because they characterize her as a mere ‘loyalist’ to Zelensky … The new prime minister is also facing overtly sexist criticism. ‘Svyrydenko is exactly the girl who all of you, dear students, are familiar with from school: She always sits at the front desk” and “carefully writes down the teacher’s notes,’ Oleh Posternak, a Ukrainian political strategist, wrote in a Facebook post that a national media site republished. Very few women have led former Soviet states, and they have virtually all received this kind of disparagement from men.

   “… [Svyrydenko] has ample experience working with foreign governments, whose support is now existentially important to Ukraine. Early in her career, she served as the country’s only permanent representative in China, bringing investment to her hometown of Chernihiv. As deputy prime minister, Svyrydenko negotiated billion-dollar reconstruction projects and trade agreements with the European Commission and Emirati leaders, as well as a $400 million investment from Turkish business interests. She also helped broker a natural-resources agreement with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to create a joint investment fund to rebuild Ukraine.

   “… Nevertheless, and despite her strong résumé, Svyrydenko will have to contend with broad reservations in Ukraine about female leadership. According to a 2020 study conducted by the research group Rating, Ukrainians are more likely to prefer male political executives. Sometimes bad actors take advantage of this trust gap. Katerina Sergatskova, the executive director of the 2402 Foundation, which supports and trains Ukrainian journalists, has seen many Ukrainian women in public life become the target of harassment. ‘It is political sexism. The attacks are well-organized campaigns,’ Sergatskova told me.” 

   Read more: [https://theatln.tc/UB1w8RSA](https://theatln.tc/UB1w8RSA) 

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3. She looks like an extremely competent woman who deserves the job.

4. It’s disappointing, but not surprising. Women in leadership especially in high-stakes roles like Ukraine’s PM often face skepticism before they even begin. The focus should be on competence and policy, not outdated gender biases. Let her record speak, not assumptions

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