On March 28, a presentation of the study “Women in War: Motivations to Stay and Reasons to Leave” was held at AUK Campus with the participation of experts from the Institute for Behavioral Studies, as well as representatives of the government, international organizations, and the expert community.
Among the key points of the study:
- More than 70% of Ukrainian Women Do Not Consider Leaving the Country: 72% of women do not consider emigration, while only 15% are thinking about leaving—the rest remain undecided;
- Family ties and a deep sense of belonging are the primary reasons, while key material factors include stable income, housing availability, access to medical services, and job opportunities;
- Younger women (18-29), unmarried women, and those who have already moved abroad since 2022 are the most likely to consider leaving;
- Internally displaced women do not show a stronger desire to leave compared to the rest of the sample, with the exception of those who use Russian more often;
- 61% in the group of those who want to leave indicate that they are held back by family ties (impossibility for a husband or son to leave) and language and cultural barriers.
“For many Ukrainian women, the housing situation plays an important role in the question of staying or leaving, even ahead of income. Programs for assistance with renting housing for IDPs, subsidies for repairing damaged property, or support for reconstruction on the ground should be continued. Such initiatives not only improve housing conditions, but also strengthen physical ties to the place – and therefore, strengthen intentions to stay,” says Volodymyr Vakhitov, Director of the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv.
“The most important motivator for staying in Ukraine is family. Ukrainians want to maintain their connections and be close to home,” says Nataly Zaika, deputy director of the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion:
- 39% of Ukrainian women aged 18-60 have been forced to leave their homes—more than half have already returned.
- 90% have experienced traumatic events, including missile attacks, bombings, and the loss of loved ones.
- 10% have lived under occupation, and 1 in 3 has a close relative serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This research was conducted by the Centre for Economic Strategy and the Institute for Behavioral Research at American University Kyiv as part of the demographic resilience project by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, initiated by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Population Fund in Ukraine, and supported by the UK government and NGO “UA Experts”.
Key insights from the study and the video recording of the presentation are available at the link: https://ces.org.ua/en/women-staying-in-ukraine/