In Ukraine, girls and young women aged 15-34 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) face significant barriers to accessing employment.
In October-November 2025, the non-governmental organisation “Youth Institute” conducted a sociological study entitled “Girls and young women not in education, employment or training in Ukraine: barriers, needs and pathways to labour market integration” as part of UNICEF’s global initiative “POWER4Girls” and the project “Unlocking the potential of young people: systemic strengthening of youth services”.
The initiative is being implemented by ISAR Ednannia in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Youth Centre, with the support of UNICEF Ukraine and the financial participation of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
povna-versiya-zvitu_ukrHow the study was conducted
This is the first study of the situation of girls and young women in NEET status since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Analysts conducted:
- secondary analysis of sources;
- 30 in-depth interviews with experts and service providers;
- 23 interviews with representatives of hard-to-reach NEET groups;
- organised 8 focus groups with the participation of 61 women;
- 512 respondents were surveyed in all regions of Ukraine, except for temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities.
The study answers two simple but very important questions: what prevents young women from working, studying and fulfilling their potential – and what can help change the situation.
Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matviy Bidny.
In Ukraine, the NEET problem has been exacerbated by the full-scale war, which has led to socio-economic instability, mass population displacement and changes in the structure of employment.
Data for 2023
According to the Survey of the Socio-Economic Status of Households (SESHD), in 2023, the proportion of Ukrainian youth aged 15-29 in NEET status was 21.4%. Almost 70% of this group are women.
Most NEET youth are outside the labour force, while the rest are engaged in unpaid domestic work and caregiving. In rural areas, this problem is exacerbated by limited access to the labour market and social infrastructure.
As of 2023, the main reason women were not in the labour force was family responsibilities (72.5%). For men, this figure was only 6.8%, indicating a clear gender imbalance in NEET status in Ukraine.
The OECD results showed that the highest NEET rate was recorded among women aged 25-29. This is due to the fact that their professional development coincides with childbirth and caregiving responsibilities. The lowest rate is observed among young people aged 15-19 who are still studying at university.
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Why young women end up as NEETs
Most often, girls aged 15-17 fall into NEET status due to:
- family stereotypes, such as prioritising a “good marriage” over professional and personal fulfilment;
- early motherhood;
- lack of quality career guidance.
At the age of 18-19, the reasons include unsuccessful admission to university, a break in education due to “searching for oneself” and a lack of independent living skills after leaving boarding schools.
Young women aged 20-29 face:
- their education does not meet the requirements of the labour market;
- lack of internship opportunities after graduation due to the outbreak of full-scale war;
- the need to care for children or elderly parents;
- informal employment.
At the age of 30-34, there is a critical break in employment of more than 5 years and a loss of qualifications due to long-term leave to care for children or relatives.
Which categories of young people most often fall into the NEET status?
The following groups face the most barriers to employment:
- single mothers and guardians;
- women with disabilities;
- internally displaced persons;
- women living in rural areas and frontline communities;
- Roma girls;
- representatives of low-income and large families.
Most women live in small towns and villages, while the rest live in large cities.
Among young people who are NEETs, 26.6% are IDPs, 62% have children, 67% live in financial hardship, and about 9% have disabilities.
Factors influencing NEET
The study showed that the main factors influencing NEET status are:
- gender stereotypes – employers place the responsibility for childcare solely on mothers, doubt their reliability and restrict their access to “non-female” professions;
- The lack of care infrastructure – a shortage of affordable nurseries, after-school clubs, day centres for the elderly, social worker services and inclusive centres – forces many young women to remain in the role of housewives.
[Difficulties] especially for women, because when a man comes to work, no one asks him: “Sir, how many children do you have? Can you handle it or not?” But women are asked: “Why is that?”
Unemployed, 27 years old, Sumy region.
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Why NEET women cannot find employment
At the age of 15-17, girls are not hired due to lack of experience, legal restrictions and low self-esteem. At the same time, at the age of 18-19, there is still a gap between ambitions and actual salaries, a lack of communication skills and information about available opportunities.
Slightly older girls, aged 20-29, cannot find work due to hidden discrimination, low pay in entry-level positions, and employers’ unwillingness to offer flexible employment.
At 30-34, women begin to face ageism, psychological exhaustion, and deprofessionalisation.
In addition:
- 43% of women in NEET status require vocational training and retraining courses;
- 28% – development of communication and self-presentation skills;
- 26% – psychological support;
- 25% – career counselling;
- 21% – services for caring for children or sick relatives;
- 20% – legal assistance.
How to solve the problem
To solve the NEET problem in Ukraine, the state must take comprehensive action, taking into account all the factors that lead to this status, including caring for children and relatives, low wages and difficult working conditions, the consequences of war, and social and gender constraints.
| Reasons for entering NEET status | Ways to solve the problem |
|---|---|
| Caring for children, persons with disabilities and elderly relatives | Increasing the number of kindergartens and daycare groups. Scaling up the Municipal Nanny programme. Creating children’s spaces at employment centres, universities and youth centres. |
| Economic disadvantage of work due to low pay and poor conditions | Introduction of flexible and remote employment formats. Creation of incentives for employers. |
| Labour market rigidity | Introduction of family-friendly practices. Establishment of remote work as an official form of employment. |
| Consequences of war: internal displacement, loss of work, housing and social ties | Creation of mobile multidisciplinary teams and local digital hubs. Psychological support at the initial stage of interaction. |
| Limited employment opportunities in villages and frontline communities | Opportunity for remote employment. Creation of training for remote work. Assistance with the development of local entrepreneurship. |
| Health problems and complex psycho-emotional state | Integration of psychological support into all programmes. Creation of peer support groups based on the principle of “peer to peer”. |
| Social and gender expectations | Gender-sensitive career guidance. Working with communities and employers to create equal employment opportunities. |
It is also worth creating checklists, roadmaps, AI consultants, social networks, micro-communities, and chatbots. Launch short, practical, free soft skills courses without age barriers and training in self-presentation.
Assistance from employment centres in finding work
Girls and young women can also contact the employment centre for help with finding a job.
According to Yulia Zhovtyak, director of the State Employment Service, over the past year and a half, they have opened 100 Made in Ukraine offices based in employment centres. At these offices, any citizen can obtain information about grants for starting their own business, career development advice, and training.
The State Employment Service also provides training vouchers. These are available to people with disabilities, internally displaced persons, veterans, and citizens over 45 years of age.
But starting in April or May of this year, we will launch grants in the new Obriy system. What is a grant? Anyone who is unemployed can take advantage of it and enrol in training for 155 professions.
Director of the State Employment Service Yulia Zhovtyak.
The director also noted that most people still do not turn to employment centres because of stereotypes.
And do you know why? There are certain stereotypes that we only employ people for low wages or that we only have vacancies for storekeepers, janitors, and so on. In reality, this is not the case. Believe me, employers are now very interested in working with the employment service.
Director of the State Employment Service Yulia Zhovtyak.
Employers have started to cooperate more frequently with the state employment service, as they themselves are facing a shortage of workers. Whereas previously a single vacancy on job search websites could attract dozens of responses, today even one candidate is considered a good result.
According to Zhovtyak, employment centres are now cooperating more actively with businesses and offering a wider range of vacancies, including those with decent pay.
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