18% Have No Income, 53% Overloaded with Household Duties: Portrait of a Ukrainian Rural Woman During the War — Special Research by Gradus and Biasless

On October 15, the world marks the International Rural Women's Day — a date established by the UN to recognize their contribution to agricultural and economic development. To mark the occasion, Gradus Research together with Biasless conducted a special analysis of the “Pulse of Women’s Well-being in Ukraine” data to draw attention to the real situation, challenges, and motivations of Ukrainian women living in rural areas.

The study revealed that rural women remain one of the most vulnerable yet strongest groups in society — facing double burdens, limited access to opportunities, and, at the same time, a strong drive for development.

The Double Burden Becomes the New Normal

More than half of rural women surveyed (53%) said their household workload increased over the past year — 12 percentage points higher than the national average.

Every third respondent (38%) admits she cannot find a balance between work and personal life, and only half (50%) manage to “switch off” after the workday.
The war has deepened economic inequality: 18% of rural women live without any personal income (twice the national average), while another 43% report their income has significantly decreased.

Ambitions Are There, But Confidence Is Lacking

Despite financial pressure and domestic challenges, rural women have not lost their ambition. Half of them (50%) aspire to career growth, and 51% feel ready for new professional roles.

However, confidence in their own abilities remains a weak point: 41% of rural women say they lack it (compared to 27% nationally), 38% admit they lack courage and decisiveness, and 34% — experience.

Against this backdrop, only 8% of rural women have experience working in fields traditionally considered “male,” compared to nearly 20% among all Ukrainian women surveyed.

“When we see that rural women are almost 50% more likely to experience a lack of confidence (41% vs. 27%), courage (38% vs. 23%), and experience (34% vs. 22%), we’re looking at a concentrated form of impostor syndrome. It doesn’t appear out of nowhere. The impostor syndrome is a consequence of an environment where women’s leadership is not supported, where there are few visible examples of successful women, and where fear of judgment and bias become real barriers. In rural areas, traditional gender roles exert stronger pressure, and there’s less space for professional experimentation,” explains Iryna Rubis, founder of Biasless, strategist and diversity & inclusion trainer.

Professional Training and Reskilling: What’s Holding Them Back?

Awareness of reskilling programs remains critically low: only 3% of rural women are well informed about such opportunities, while 93% have never heard of them. At the same time, 58% would like to learn more, and 50% have already shown interest in changing their profession.

The key conditions that would enable reskilling are employer support (51%), free courses (47%), and state programs (44%). Meanwhile, the main obstacles rural women mention are difficulties combining work and household duties (41%), lack of knowledge and skills (39%), and low self-confidence (37%). Notably, rural women show higher barriers related to social or family bias and fear of judgment or misunderstanding.

“The data reveal a paradox: rural women have ambitions and readiness for professional growth at almost the same level as urban women — 50% versus 46%. But when it comes to turning those ambitions into action, there’s a 14–15% gap in confidence and courage. This points to a systemic problem of access — to education, to role models, to information about opportunities. Yet in the context of workforce shortages, rural women could become a powerful force in the labor market,” comments Evgeniya Blyznyuk, sociologist, CEO & founder of Gradus Research.

Motivation Beyond Money

Financial reasons remain the main driver of development: over two-thirds (69%) of rural women seek professional growth to earn higher salaries. However, compared to urban women, they place greater importance on helping others and working in a team (24% vs. 16%). This shows that even in times of crisis, social motivation and a sense of community remain crucial.

The study was conducted by Gradus Research in partnership with Biasless on March 10–11, 2025. It surveyed 1,000 women aged 18+ across Ukraine, including 94 women living in rural areas. The special analysis of responses from rural women was carried out on the occasion of the International Rural Women's Day.