Uniform matters: women test NATO-tailored military uniforms in Ukraine
Near Kyiv, the Arm Women Now organization held authentic trials for Ukrainian journalists and medics, which included tactical military practices, an obstacle course, a march–throw, and shooting. This was to evaluate the new Ukrainian uniform for female military personnel, made to NATO standards.
What is the problem?
The problem of gender provision in the Ukrainian army has existed for 30 years, even though many women serve in the army. From the first day of the war, 11,000 women, on an equal footing with men, stood in queues at territorial recruitment centers to join the defense of Ukraine. More than 16,000 female servicewomen are serving in the Ground Forces alone now. In total, 60,000 women serve in Ukraine's armed forces.
Our defenders are still given men's uniforms and men's underwear, so women either have to tailor the uniforms they're given or find something else.
What is the solution?
In February of this year, Rubryka published a lengthy interview with the founder of the Arm Women Now organization, Iryna Nikorak, on Rubryka. Although the uniform had not been officially tested and implemented by then, about 2,000 women on the front lines had already been provided with the kits.
Arm Women Now sews and provides military women with the following:
- women's winter uniform – summer field suit in pixels and multicam;
- thermal winter uniform;
- thermal demi-season uniform;
- tactical underwear – a military uniform for pregnant women;
- tactical shirt ubox.
Six months later, the number of women who received their free uniforms from Arm Women Now has already doubled — 4,500 women have already been provided with uniforms. Considering that about 7-8 thousand women are constantly on the front lines, we can say that the charitable organization has already "dressed" more than half of Ukrainian defenders.
The form is gradually being implemented at the official level.
Thanks to the efforts of the volunteers of the Arm Women Now social initiative, joint work with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been initiated, and there is already progress. For example, the Ministry of Defense took the summer field suit from Arm Women Now as a basis for developing women's field uniforms. Now it is in the final stage of being approved by the Ministry of Defense and will be introduced to military women.
There is also technical documentation, which the Ministry of Defense developed on the basis of Arm Women Now underwear samples, according to which the standard sample has already been sewn. Underwear from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is a set of 1 top and one pair of underpants (a set of underwear from Arm Women Now includes 1 top and two pairs of underpants). According to the existing standards of physical support, only two pairs of underwear (2 tops and two underpants) should be issued to the military per year.
First testing
On July 12, on Wednesday, military women, medics, and journalists were invited to test uniforms in "field" conditions.
The participants had to go through a real obstacle course — climbing in a trench, crawling in a plastun style, jumping over and climbing over obstacles, and climbing a wall on a rope.
The next step was to teach everyone how to handle weapons. Everyone was given an AK74, the same machine gun used by the Ukrainian army.
First — safety guidelines, then — practicing useful stances for shooting — standing, sitting, prone, and then shooting at targets.
The girls coped with all the tasks skillfully, quickly, and comfortably. The form passed the test!
For reference:
The Ministry of Defense presented a model of a summer field suit for female military personnel.
