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As International Women’s Day celebrates its 100th anniversary on March 8, it’s a timely reminder of how much greater opportunities women have today than when the day was first marked.

If most Ukrainian women were housewives a century ago, and 50 years ago they were only just starting to train as doctors and teachers, in 2011 women are capable of climbing almost any heights, despite continuing problems of sexism that haunt the corridors of even the country’s highest office.

The March 8 holiday was started by Clara Zetkin, the world-famous German politician who campaigned for equal voting rights with men. It was celebrated for the first time in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark in 1911 to promote economic, social and political parity between women and men.

Today, recognition of March 8 is mostly limited to Eastern Europe and celebrates the evolution of a housewife into a professional woman. But it’s still tough for this woman to break through sexist stereotypes prevalent in Ukrainian society.

Yes, women do everything these days. Who started small and medium businesses in the ’90s? Women. Who immigrated to Italy to feed their children? Women again.”

Liliya Hryhorovych, parliamentarian.

“Yes, women do everything these days,” said lawmaker Liliya Hryhorovych of Our Ukraine’s minority faction. “Who started small and medium businesses in the ’90s? Women. Who immigrated to Italy to feed their children? Women again.”

Apart from a career in politics and medicine, Hryhorovych, 54, holds a doctorate in philosophy. Her achievements, however, are more an exception to a general trend in Ukraine where women are discouraged from the positions of power by the male-dominant political and business world.

“In parliament, women make up only 7 percent of deputies, and in government, there’re none,” said Tamara Zlobina, the head of the community project Feminism-is, founded to dispel myths. “Our society has double standards. Women must fight for their rights because they often exist only on paper but are not guaranteed in life.”

None of this dilemma existed a century ago. Hryhorovych’s mother, Maria, born in 1922, was educated to be a teacher, but right after the wedding she chose to stay at home and was a housewife for the rest of her life.

“Mom would send us to school early in the morning, then she’d clean the house, and when we came back the dinner was already waiting,” said Hryhorovych.

It was her mother who helped her through high school, taught her how to read fast and encouraged her to learn English, which was a rare skill to have back in those days. She died early – when Hryhorovych was only 15.

Men and women have exchanged social roles. Women can even get into the military and law enforcement nowadays.”

– Kateryna Levchenko, the head of international women’s rights center La Strada.

Stepan Malofiy, Hryhorovych’s father, was educated in Harvard and Vienna and spoke seven languages. In 1939, though he was sent to Siberian labor camps for 25 years. When he came back, he became a priest. His wife Maria, however, forbade the daughter to tell anyone that her father was in the clergy.

“She whispered to me: Tell everyone that he’s a teacher, but just doesn’t live with us. There was no God then, so there couldn’t be such a job,” remembered Hryhorovych.

When Hryhorovych finished high school women were allowed to enter universities. More and more girls started choosing careers over housewives’ duties. But still, their choice was tiny, according to Kateryna Levchenko, the head of international women’s rights center La Strada.

“Some 50 years ago women’s professions were limited to a teacher, a nurse, or a doctor,” said Levchenko. Hryhorovych, born in 1957, confirms the trend as she only had two choices: to become a doctor or a teacher.

“My father told me that if I become a teacher, I would have to lie a lot,” said Hryhorovych. “But if you decided to be a doctor, you would have to tell the truth; otherwise your patient would die. So I chose the truthful profession.”

On the application to the medical school, however, she mentioned that her father was a priest. Soviet professors rejected Hryhorovych and so “for three years I had to clean restrooms and corridors in a hospital before they finally accepted me.”

Women in the 19th century were fighting for the right to vote. Women in the 20th century – for the right to be elected. And I hope that women will rule our country, doing it with their heart and brains. The 21st century is the age of women.”

– Liliya Hryhorovych, parliamentarian.

A parliamentary deputy for over a decade now, she is speaks confidently and is brimming with ideas. To Levchenko, it’s a huge leap compared to the house-bound woman of a century ago.

“Men and women have exchanged social roles. Women can even get into the military and law enforcement nowadays,” she said.

But the problem is that they are discouraged by prevalent stereotypes that woman belongs to a kitchen. President Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, among other politicians, often make sexist remarks showing that psychologically Ukraine is still stuck in 1900s.

Hryhorovych, however, believes that women will ultimately take charge in Ukraine.

“Women in the 19th century were fighting for the right to vote. Women in the 20th century – for the right to be elected. And I hope that women will rule our country, doing it with their heart and brains. The 21st century is the age of women,” said Hryhorovych.

Kyiv Post writer Elena Zagrebina can be reached at [email protected]

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