Ukraine’s 60,000 women soldiers are plagued by health issues and poor equipment in the field, according to a series of interviews published by the left-wing Daily Beast website.
“After a year of the war we have a bouquet of all sorts of health issues,” said one woman, aged 24, who gave her name as Julia.
“Try to go to the toilet in the woods at 4 degrees Fahrenheit… All of us got cystitis or inflammation of the ovaries and back pain,” she added.
Julia’s sister, Alina, said shortages of diapers and devices to assist urination for women were “the least of the problems” they face, however. She especially highlighted the oversized boots and uniforms originally intended for men that women on the front line often have to wear, hindering their movement. Body armor also seems to be an issue, with Alina complaining vests “never [fit] snugly to the body with boobs like mine” and are often too heavy for women soldiers.
Taking them off is a major gamble, however, as President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government does not pay compensation to wounded soldiers or the families of those killed in action if they were not wearing body armor at the time.
Women make up over 15 percent of the Ukrainian military. In Russia, that number is close to just four percent, due in large part to “traditional gender roles that emphasize reproduction.”
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