The Government of Ukraine launched its first National Action Plan (NAP) on February 24, 2016. The NAP was created to establish a framework as well as strategies and actions for coordinated implementation of UNSCR 1325. The NAP aims at contributing towards the elimination of cultural barriers that hinder the full participation of women in all aspects of negotiations and resolution of conflicts and/or matters of peace and security at the national level. The NAP is the result of joint efforts between different national institutions reporting to the Cabinet of Ministries of Ukraine. The Action Plan includes six pillars of action: Peacekeeping and peace-protecting activities; Women’s participation in peacebuilding; Prevention of conflicts and violence; Protection of women and girls affected by conflicts; Provision of assistance and rehabilitation of people affected by conflicts; and Monitoring of the National Action Plan for implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security until 2020. The National Action Plan has both internal and external elements. It aims at eliminating cultural barriers that prevent women from participating in all societal spheres.
The internal issues the NAP focuses on include prevention of domestic violence and human trafficking and awareness-raising for survivors of SGBV. The NAP recognises the lack of criminal investigation and prosecution of sexual offenders and aims to improve the mechanism for reporting sexual crimes. The NAP also aims to increase the number of women in military-civil administrations in Eastern Ukraine. The external issues the NAP focuses on include having more women in peacekeeping missions and training social service agencies and armed forces in assisting survivors of sexual violence in conflict areas.