The Politics of Ukrainian Recovery: A Feminist Political Economy Perspective

Post-war recovery provides an opportunity to re-shape societal gender orders and address the intersectional inequalities that are often at the root of violence and war. In Ukraine, efforts at recovery and reconstruction are well underway and focus the energies of a broad range of political actors. This paper takes a feminist political economy approach to explore how existing efforts incorporate issues of social reproduction and care. The paper proceeds in two steps. First, it offers an analysis of existing recovery plans put forward by international actors and the Ukrainian government. It explores the kind of knowledge and socio-economic expertise that comes to bear in these plans, the way in which they mainstream gender (or not), and the way they address questions of social reproduction (or not). Second, it draws on interviews with international and national policy actors to examine who is at the table in reconstruction debates and what social and economic interests are represented. The purpose is to make visible framings and interests and to provide knowledge for an inclusive recovery, both in terms of participation and in terms of building a more-just society.