Serhii Tokarev, taking into account his experience as the cofounder of Roosh and the initiator of the STEM is FEM project, highlights the importance of women’s participation in the process of rebuilding Ukraine. He emphasizes that decisions about urban renewal must take into account not only men’s needs but also women’s needs. After all, this is the only way society can achieve maximum inclusiveness and comfort for all citizens. Such an approach will also benefit businesses, allowing them to adapt to the diversity of needs and preferences of the population.
Cities for men
According to Serhii Tokarev, many cities in Ukraine were designed with predominantly male needs in mind. In an era when social roles were clearly divided and men occupied key positions in management and construction, architects built infrastructure aimed at supporting the economy. As a result, women’s needs, although not completely ignored, often remained in the shadows, not receiving due attention and consideration.
With the development of civil society, it is becoming clear that focusing only on the needs of men in urban design is an outdated approach. However, the slow pace of change is due to the fact that business continues to adhere to old stereotypes. As a result, not only is an unequal society created, but economic opportunities for development and value addition are also lost.
Serhii Tokarev was faced with the question of who the real stakeholders are in urban planning while preparing a large-scale relocation event. His company conducted research that included a comparative analysis of various aspects, including the economic situation and general comfort for living and working. He also paid attention to the needs of his employees—developers and their families—through market research. This demonstrates the need to take into account the interests of all parties when planning urban infrastructure.
There is a noticeable difference between men and women when it comes to housing. Men generally do not pay attention to the details of internal and external infrastructure, while women show serious interest in safety, ecology and infrastructure development in the vicinity of housing. Mothers take a particularly careful approach to this issue, paying attention to playgrounds, parks, lighting and accessibility to childcare facilities and shops. Serhii Tokarev notes that the needs expressed by women seem logical, but Ukrainian developers, for some reason, ignore them. This leads to missed opportunities to increase the added value of projects through infrastructure development and the creation of a safe living environment.
Ukraine on the Road to Recovery
After the war in Ukraine, there was a need to restore not only the physical infrastructure but also the social fabric of society. Women play a key role in this process, as their contribution to the social and economic aspects of the country’s development becomes increasingly significant.
The UNITY (Mriemo ta diemo) program is one of many initiatives aimed at involving women in the process of urban planning and reconstruction of war-torn cities in Ukraine. This program not only provides free education but also actively includes girls in shaping future urban spaces along with experienced professionals.
In addition, Ukraine seeks to study the experience of other countries in the field of creating inclusive spaces. For example, the successful experience of Sweden, where local schoolgirls actively participated in the process of reconstruction of city parks, inspires Ukrainian initiatives to more actively involve youth and children in the development of public spaces.
It is incredibly important to understand that women’s participation in urban development processes not only contributes to the creation of a more inclusive and convenient environment for all citizens but is also a key element in the development of civil society in the country.
