Solutions to win: new chatbot in Ukraine helps women join the army

Kateryna Pryimak, co-founder of the VETERANKA movement, discussed it with Rubryka.

What is the problem?

As of September 2024, there are a total of 68,000 women in Ukraine's armed forces, with over 48,000 serving as active-duty female soldiers. It is estimated that approximately 5,000 of these women are currently deployed to the frontlines.

Although the number of female defenders is rising, the army remains a challenging and uncertain option for civilian women considering military service.

What is the solution?

On the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, the VETERANKA movement unveiled a chatbot designed to address common inquiries from civilian women seeking to join the Defense Forces of Ukraine and safeguard the nation.

Kateryna Pryimak, one of the co-founders of the VETERANKA movement, spoke with Rubryka about the development and content creation of the Recruitment guide bot.

How does it work?

The Recruitment guide bot is a step-by-step guide that will help women navigate the main issues:

• How to join a specific unit?
• What is the difference between mobilization and contract service?
• How does training take place in educational centers?

It was with such questions that women often addressed the participants of the Women's Veterans Movement.

"Our girls wrote about various details of the service from their own experience; it was interesting to people. At one point, it clicked – we need a chatbot because it is fast and efficient. Thanks to the help of one of our patrons, we managed to implement this useful project," Kateryna Pryimak says.

The movement's co-founder shared that completing the recruiting bot took around two months. The development process involved input from psychologists, doctors, female veterans, and active military personnel. Olha Davydchuk, who leads the support department, conducted analytical work and gathered information from various sources, including the bot's creators and official sources. Additionally, thanks to Hanna Vasyk, who handles recruiting at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and hosts webinars for potential mobilizers, the creators gained insights into the current concerns for women. Legal Hundred expert Mariia Zviahintseva provided a legal framework for the bot.

The chatbot provides a platform for women to access information regarding:

• Training opportunities for service, including courses and schools;

• Learning the fundamentals of tactical medicine;

• A list of platforms to seek out military job opportunities and find answers to legal inquiries;

• A section filled with personal accounts from military members detailing their path of mobilization and service in the army.

According to Kateryna Pryimak, the recommended courses section is one of the most important.

"The more prepared and skilled you are for war, the better you will perform. Trying out different things makes it easier to find a suitable role and envision your desired position before joining the army with a clear purpose. Sadly, there are unspoken expectations for women in this field – they must excel and be hardworking to be taken seriously," the veteran explains.

As women created the chatbot specifically for women, users can also access helpful resources such as:

• information about women's health during their front-line service,
• checklists for essential hygiene products and medications to bring,
• recommendations from experienced personnel about what to pay attention to during and before service,
• guidance on how to handle situations of sexual harassment or violence.

Does it really work?

In the first few days after the launch, the recruiting bot was viewed by more than 1,000 users.

"We have received positive feedback despite the bot experiencing an initial outage due to a high volume of visitors on the first day. Fortunately, the issue has since been resolved, and we have also received gratitude from the service owners who can now easily reset the bot without any complications," Kateryna Pryimak shares.

According to the organization's co-founder, the Women's Veterans Movement remains committed to assisting women pursuing a military career. They also intend to create a duplicate bot on WhatsApp shortly.

"The bot provides a feedback form for women to enhance their understanding of service training and gain insights into what to expect when joining the military. It also allows them to interact with women in the community who currently serve in various roles. Connecting with these women is highly beneficial in building a strong support system within the army," Kateryna Priymak says.

She adds that men can also use the Recruitment guide bot because it contains information on universal issues.

For reference:

According to reports, there has been a significant increase in Ukrainian women showing interest in military service. Approximately 20% of all applications received by recruiting centers are from women.