Training “Combating Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in Medicine”

On September 23, 2025, a large-scale training was held in Kyiv, dedicated to an extremely important topic – combating gender discrimination and sexual harassment in hospitals, medical colleges and universities. Its goal is to develop a modern culture of management in the medical sector, increase trust in medical institutions and create safe conditions for learning, work and treatment.

The event brought together managers of structural units responsible for the administration of healthcare institutions and medical universities. It is this category of specialists who play a key role in creating a safe, equal and professional environment, where any manifestations of discrimination or violence are unacceptable.

The training was conducted by highly qualified trainers – experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), representatives of the public organization “Association of Women Lawyers of Ukraine “YurFem””, as well as a specialist from the Global Medical Knowledge Alliance (GMKA). Their experience and practical recommendations allowed the participants to familiarize themselves with international standards and effective mechanisms for combating discrimination and sexual violence in the medical field.

The program of the event was built around five thematic blocks, each of which covered key aspects of the problem:

Context – international standards for combating gender discrimination and sexual violence in the workplace and in healthcare institutions. Ukraine’s European integration obligations.
Gender discrimination – manifestations and consequences of discrimination, prevention and counteraction to discrimination in the healthcare sector.
Sexual violence – manifestations of sexual violence in the healthcare sector. Voluntary consent. Victim-blaming and stigmatization.
Mechanism for combating gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the medical field – a review of comprehensive mechanisms, procedures and tools used in medical education institutions and medical facilities to prevent discrimination and sexual violence.
Questions and answers – the final block of the training included an interactive session during which participants had the opportunity to ask any questions.
The training was also attended by employees of \ Odessa National Medical University: Head of the Clinical Competences Department Alla Volyanska and Deputy Head of the Human Resources Department Olena Tsopa. They noted that participation in the event allowed them to obtain not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical tools that can be integrated into daily work with staff and applicants.