BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

In its seventh year, the armed conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in eastern Ukraine continues to have a devastating effect on the 5,2 million people living in the conflict-affected areas . Considered a protracted humanitarian crisis, it leaves 3,4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, and 1,4 million internally displaced . Apart from the direct negative impact on physical and mental well-being, conflict-affected people face lack of access to basic lifesaving services due to disrupted community infrastructure, as well as food insecurity and widespread unemployment . Even though the security situation has improved since the latest ceasefire in July 2020, the humanitarian situation remains critical .

In addition, Covid-19 pandemic further aggravates humanitarian needs, due to the large proportion of vulnerable people, poor healthcare and lack of adequate infrastructure for Covid-19 prevention . Even though the official number of Covid-19 infections in the conflict-affected areas is still relatively low — based also on the very limited capacity for tests — the virus and subsequent quarantine measures have already taken a significant toll on people’s health, well-being and livelihoods . Even under conservative estimations, absolute poverty is expected to rise from 27% to 44% .

The situation is particularly grave for the elderly, people living in rural areas along the contact line, IDPs, people with specific needs as well as girls and women, who experience a 50% increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV) and financial difficulties . As women constitute the majority of healthcare and social workers, they also bear the brunt of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic — often under precarious conditions — and face higher risk of infection . With overlapping vulnerabilities and multiple needs, the protracted crisis in Ukraine requires a multisector approach that links the alleviation of immediate basic needs with measures that increase resilience and promote recovery .

Caritas Ukraine believes that gender equality is essential to the success of any humanitarian aid program . Caritas Ukraine in collaboration with three local partner organizations is currently implementing the 1 .5-year long project “Strengthening Health, Community Resilience and Livelihoods in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts”, funded by the Austrian Development Agency with funds from Austrian Development Cooperation and Caritas Austria . The project is implemented from November 2020 until May 2022 in collaboration with three local partner organisations working in Valuiske, Makarove, Vilhove, Zolote (Luhansk oblast), Novobakhmutivka, Novoselivka (Donetsk oblast) as well as in a number of settlements in non-government controlled areas (NGCA) . The project aims to contribute to sustaining and safeguarding the lives of vulnerable populations and internally displaced Ukrainians in conflict-affected communities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions through sustainable recovery and resilience measures . The project outcomes are 1) to ensure that vulnerable conflict-affected people along the contact line in NGCA, especially female-headed households (FHH) and households (HH) with elderly people, are able to secure their basic needs and sustain their lives through the provision of winterization and hygiene assistance, and 2) to ensure that vulnerable conflict-affected HHs along the contact line in government-controlled areas (GCA), especially FHHs & HHs with elderly people, have improved their health and resilience amid Covid-19 and recovered their livelihoods towards increased sustainability through home-based

To inform project implementation and ensure that the planned interventions are gender responsive and improve gender equality and women’s empowerment and to identify appropriate steering measures where necessary, Caritas Ukraine contracted an independent consultant to conduct gender analysis in April-June 2021 to assess gender dynamics in six frontline communities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and to offer a gender-sensitive lens to the understanding of the socio-economic context and COVID-19 related challenges .

In particular, the gender analysis considered: • Gender commitments made by the government in the context of international process and to what extent this is reflected in national and relevant sector policies (health with particular scope for home care services and labor including employment and self-employment); • How current policies, laws and regulations in relevant sectors (health with particular scope for home care services and labor including employment and self-employment) impact differently on men and women; • Access to health care structures, social service delivery and employment of men and women in the target project areas and whether these structures reflect the gender balance; • Socio-economic context of the target project areas; • Description of tasks and activities of men and women in the target project areas, including potential changes due to the ongoing conflict, the pandemic etc; • Gender inequalities in access to resources and services, control over different resources and benefits, what factors influence access to and control over resources, potential changes due to the ongoing conflict, the pandemic etc; • How decisions about different resources and activities are made at community and household level, considering also rural/urban settings; • How the project can ensure equal participation and benefits for men and women, what measures can be taken to address gaps or inequalities .

The three research sites were the sites where Caritas is implementing its project “Strengthening Health, Community Resilience and Livelihoods in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts”, namely: Site 1: villages of Novobakhmutivka and Novoselivka, Ocheretyne community, Donetsk oblast

Site 2: town of Zolote, Hirske community, Luhansk oblast

Site 3: villages of Valuyske, Makarove and Vilkhove, Stanycia Luhanska community, Luhansk

Site 1 (villages of Novobakhmutivka and Novoselivka in Donetsk oblast) belongs to Ocheretyne community in Pokrovsk rayon of Donetsk oblast . It is a predominantly rural community consisting of 38 villages and hamlets, with a total population of 23931 persons (3709 of whom live in Ocheretyne proper) . Population of Novobakhmutivka is 890 persons, and of Novoselivka – 531 persons .

Statistics from Ocheretyne community collected by self-group for UN Women research project (as mentioned in personal interview with the local coordinator of this self-help group) indicated that roughly 10% of the population are IDPs, that there are 168 single mothers, 241 people with disabilities (158 men and 83 women) as well as four families with children with disabilities .

Official statistics are seen by residents and local community activists as inaccurate . For instance, the official number of residents in Novobakhmtivka is said to be 890 persons, but respondents claim that “now, in reality it is not more than 500” . All respondents mentioned the outflow of residents following the beginning of war in 2014 . Influx of IDPs on the other hand is not seen by them as significantly impacting their population, because most people with IDP status, in their view, are in fact local dwellers, who were registered in urban centres like Donetsk, Horlivka or Yasynuvata, but had summer/secondary homes in Novobakhmutivka and Novoselivka, simply relocating to these villages permanently .

Among the most urgent infrastructural needs identified in site 1 is lack of pharmacies, no nurse in Novobakhmutivka (vacancy), lack of regular visits by family doctor (in the last year the family doctor from Rozivka clinic has only been consulting patients by phone), and inaccessibility of other healthcare services (with a need to travel to Kostiantynivka hospital and pay 600 hryvni / 20 euro one way for a taxi, in the absence of direct public transportation) . There is only one ambulance in Ocheretyne and it is in poor condition, but ambulances from Avdiyivka also serve nearby villages . Dentists and gynecologists are among the most sought

specialists . The nearest maternity wards are in Pokrovsk and Selidove at 60-70km from the villages, while local rural clinics lack capacity to assist in uncomplicated childbirth cases (previously all rural clinics served as midwifery points) . This negatively affects women’s healthcare and reproductive rights .

Public transport connection is insufficient, although on weekdays there is a local twice-daily train route connecting Novoselivka to Novodonetske that is free for pensioners and other vulnerable social groups, and there are several private minibus drivers connecting the villages to Ocheretyne and further on to Pokrovsk . Nonetheless, residents complain that their schedule is inconvenient if one needs to visit social and administrative institutions or is searching for full-time employment . Men who work fulltime at Avdiyivka coke-chemical plant, are usually car-sharing privately with other workers from their village . Women very rarely own their own means of transport, so their mobility is limited .

Both villages have 9-year schools and preschools in good condition, repaired by donor funds . School bus takes older schoolchildren (grades 10 and 11) to Ocheretyne school . There were reports that this bus is in poor condition, breaks down frequently and children miss school as a result, especially in winter months . Residents also reported that due to high cost of heating materials, pre-schools often close down in winter months or cut their operating hours (similar reduction in winter operating hours to cut down heating costs is observed in clinics) .

Novoselivka has a public library in a shared building with a rural clinic, and a newly renovated public square with a playground, and an open-air amphitheatre to hold community events . Novobakhmutivka has a house of culture with various activities for youth and adults, but the building is in poor condition and requires renovations . An alternative site for social interaction is the site of Caritas office and local NGO that recently purchased mini-gym equipment for use by local dwellers . Rural council building also has potential for use by community and is wheelchair accessible (however, due to lack of public transport and paved roads, reduced-mobility village dwellers remain home-bound) .

With decentralization reform, centre for administrative services in Ocheretyne has recently been renovated, but many rural residents are unaware of its existence and/or services offered . Being a small town of less than 4000 inhabitants, Ocheretyne has little experience in administration, and rural dwellers complain about being cut off from services in nearby bigger cities (Donetsk and Horlivka at 15-20km), and from their former administrative centre of Yasynuvata that was ten times the size of Ocheretyne and offered more diverse and comprehensive social and administrative services .

Town of Zolote belongs to Hirkse community in Luhansk oblast . It is a mining community consisting of 11 towns with a total poplation of 37846 persons . Zolote itself has a population 14974 with an additional 484 residents of the nearby village of Katerynivka .

The population is ageing (almost 30% consists of pensioners), and death rate exceeds birth rate by seven times (136 deaths for 21 births) . Other vulnerable categories according to UNDP report include 2830 internally-displaced people (including 1536 or 54% women, and 164 children), 237 people with disabilities (including 30 children), 41 veterans of ATO (including 5 women), 29 families with more than three children, 113 families led by single mothers, and 17 orphans deprived of parental care . These categories may overlap (i .e .a person may be an elderly IDP with disabilities), while on the other hand, a significant number of vulnerable people may not be registered and thus missing from official statistics . Nevertheless, this fragmentary data allows us to suggest that at least half of the population in Zolote belongs to vulnerable categories .

As far as social infrastructure is concerned, Zolote, being an urban (and not a rural) settlement is in a somewhat better position compared to other two research sites . Average salary in this community is higher than in other two sites, at about 8000 hryvni (260 euro), due to higher wages in mining (pensions for former miners are also higher) . Zolote has four healthcare facilities, two pre-schools, four schools and a vocational-training school (although one of the schools, located in Zolote-3 is likely to be closed down due to small number of children, which may lead to intensifying the sense of social isolation of Zolote-3) . The major problem in accessing available infrastructure is lack of local public transport, connecting all four settlements of Zolote 1, 2, 3 and 4 (as well as regular transport connecting Zolote to Hirske) . For instance the clinic in Zolote-1 is inaccessible to residents of Zolote 3 and 4 who live closer to the contact line .

In Zolote-4 there is no preschool, and parents need to travel 7 km to reach the nearest one . Morning busses are available, but it is a challenge to find a way to return home in the afternoon . Since the preschool is only open until 3pm (which also does not give women an opportunity to find a full-time job), many mothers prefer to keep their child at home, to avoid extra expenses on transport and school meals (at about 600hryvni per month) .

Another problem is that some social infrastructure is administered by the coal mines (state entreprise of “Pervomayskvuhillia”) . As these mines are on the verge of bankruptcy, their social sector (like pre-schools) is underfinanced and risks being closed down together with the mines . Furthermore, pre-schools give preference to miners’ children and may be inaccessible to those parents who work elsewhere .

The centre of the Military-civil administration is located in Zolote as well . Social interaction takes place in two libraries, two houses of culture, a youth centre in the basement of one of the local schools . Among the key problems identified by residents of Zolote were environmental concerns (stray dogs, poor waste collection), feeling unsafe due to proximity with the contact line and presence of the military, poor state of roads and infrastructure, and risk of unemployment in case of closure of mines .

SITE 3

Villages of Makarove, Valuyske and Vilkhove belong to Stanycia Luhanska community in Luhansk oblast . It is a predominantly rural community that consists of 14 villages and hamlets, with a total population of 25858 persons (13600 of whom live in Stanycia Luhanska proper) . The population of Valuyske (centre of rural council) is 3996 persons, Makarove – 1786 persons, and Vilkhove – 3114 persons . Respondent from the Valuyske local council indicated that after 2014 this number decreased significantly and in reality there are up to two thousand registered IDPs who reside in occupied territories and only visit occasionally to collect pensions and social payments, and to look after their homes .

According to AGORA report2, 44% of the population in Stanycia Luhanska community self-identifies as retired (39% over 60 years of age and 7% with official disability status – this corresponds to official statistics where 42% of the population consists of pensioners), 12% is in education, 18% unemployed (52% of whom reported lack of vacancies as main reason for unemployment, and 22% being a homemaker, engaged in unpaid housework and care activities) . Only 21% were employed in 2020, and of them 8% reported losing jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic (6% temporarily, and 2% permanently) . 74% of working-age population reported having an income of less than 4000 hryvni (130 euro) . 26% of the population reported having a chronic illness and there were 770 single mothers and fathers . This is a very high number of vulnerable categories, even compared to other two sites in our case study .

Stanytsia Luhanska community (where villages from site 3 are located) has one of the highest rates of IDPs and NGCA residents commuting to receive social and administrative services on Ukrainian site (although only 9% of the population has an official IDP status, but those commuting from NGCAs to receive social services, add up to as high as half of the size of local population) . Daily pre-COVID rate of border crossings used to reach up to 5000 people . This is a significant strain on available social infrastructure, and causes some social tension . 53% of social service provision infrastructure in the community reportedly experiences additional pressure due to NGCA residents, and 28% did not have enough employees to manage the workload . At the same time, reduction in border-crossing cases by up to 95% poses a question on the fate of NGCA residents who were unable to obtain crucial social services on Ukrainian side and may be in greater need of humanitarian assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic .

In Stanycia Luhanska community there is a central regional hospital in fairly good condition, repaired with international donor funds, and supplied with modern diagnostic equipment (although there is a lack of qualified specialized doctors, so sometimes patients are referred to Severodonetsk or Lysychansk) . But it is located at the exit of the town, and is difficult to access, in particular for residents from nearby villages . In the villages proper there are only nursing-midwifery points . As for schools, the biggest school in Valuyske that is most convenient in terms of location and has the highest number of students is in a very poor condition and in need of renovation . High cost of heating leads to a reduction in operating hours of preschools and clinics in winter months .

Among the most pressing problems identified by residents were negative side-effects of administrative reform, whereby up to 200 municipal workers lost their jobs . According to international NGO experts, decentralization reform created “loopholes for mismanagement of specific segments of everyday life” with an “imbalance in the networks of the provision of services in health care, culture, education, sports, and social protection” as many facilities and utilities of regional significance remain in the NGCAs3 .

2 https://www .impact-repository .org/document/impact/207e4046/AGORA_UKR_SO_LUHANSK-OBLAST_HCVA_1904_January2021 .pdf?fbclid=IwAR21O_3LgE_LADFJ0GcEQaDO6FNH5iY3TrrIzsfNGnqcSud6WjAG-TJ6Jag 3 See, for example https://docs .google .com/document/d/1GBn_M3UMay57yryO_9BgGFAt8bl84fuEWW67ne7fWO8/edit?fbclid=IwAR0DhKPuNnxvU_DmhbN4qQ13icAfNsWbiv3URlS-xDgzeSHwUA4WnGWn0uQ and https://www .humanitarianresponse .info/sites/ www .humanitarianresponse .info/files/documents/files/eecp_report_-_annual_2019_ p40_ukr .pdf