Ukrainian companies reaffirm their commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Baker McKenzie Ukraine and Epicentr K – two active WEPs signatories — implement inclusive practices that support women in the workplace, advance women’s entrepreneurship, and promote women’s leadership.
Despite ongoing challenges, Ukrainian companies have demonstrated resilience and leadership in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Across Ukraine, women continue to shape the local economy as entrepreneurs. In 2024 alone, 61 per cent of all new businesses were founded by women. As of May 2025, 45 companies in Ukraine are a part of the WEPs community. Among them, two signatories — Baker McKenzie Ukraine and Epicentr K — are putting inclusive values into practice, supporting women in the workplace, promoting women’s entrepreneurship, and investing in women’s leadership at all levels. Their efforts reflect a broader commitment to ensuring that progress toward equality continues, even in times of uncertainty.
Supporting Women in Law at Baker McKenzie
In November 2024, Baker McKenzie Ukraine became a WEPs signatory, joining a global community of companies committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. This formalized the firm’s ongoing efforts to create a gender-responsive and inclusive work environment. “There is still much work to be done to implement various initiatives that improve working conditions, promote employees’ physical and mental health, and foster a comfortable team atmosphere. This reflects the company's commitment to its team, especially towards women,” notes Anna Zaporozhchuk, who leads inclusion and diversity at the Kyiv office of Baker McKenzie.
As part of this commitment, the Kyiv office has adopted two global programmes: Point ONE, which promotes respectful workplace behaviour and ethical reporting, and LIFT (Leaders Investing For Tomorrow), a leadership development programme designed to support young women lawyers at the start of their careers.
The office also runs the Women Professionals Club, a platform for peer support among women lawyers and clients. While initially focused on leadership, the club has evolved into a space for mental health discussions and navigating wartime realities. The firm offers yoga classes as part of its efforts to support employees’ mental well-being. Zaporozhchuk explains, “I never realized how important it is to support women at work, especially during a war. In addition to yoga for maintaining mental health, we often organize creative workshops and attend theater performances, exhibitions, and film screenings. Women are usually the active participants and initiators of these events, and the company supports our ideas.”
Promoting Women’s Entrepreneurship at Epicentr K
Epicentr K, a leading Ukrainian home improvement retail chain and a WEPs signatory since April 2024, has responded to the growing wave of women entrepreneurs by spotlighting and supporting women-owned businesses within its supplier network. The European Business Association indicates that it has 38,000 employees, and 73 shopping centers (losing 5 of them through the war). The company has been making a significant contribution to the development of the Ukrainian economy for almost 20 years, annually creating thousands of jobs, investing billions of hryvnias (local currency) in shopping centers, logistics and production. The company’s efforts reflect its commitment to advancing the WEPs and encouraging inclusive economic growth.
Its journey started in April 2024, when Epicentr hosted the Epicentr Awards, recognizing 21 Ukrainian manufacturers supplying its retail network. However, only three awardees were women-led manufacturing companies. This insight inspired Epicentr to start spotlighting women entrepreneurs as role models, in line with WEPs Principle 5 on enterprise development, supply chain and marketing.
“Epicentr serves as a catalyst for small business growth, and it is encouraging to see many of these companies are women-owned,” notes Maryna Bevziuk, Director of Deko Galleries at Epicentr.
Continued Commitment to the WEPs in Ukraine
Through these efforts, Baker McKenzie and Epicentr K demonstrate how companies can support women in boardrooms, offices, and across supply chains and communities. As Ukraine navigates recovery and resilience, these stories are strong examples of WEPs in action—grounded in local realities and driven by global commitments.
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Originally published on UN Women Ukraine (in English)