Leadership Despite Burnout: How Ukrainian Women’s Career Ambitions Are Evolving Under the Pressure of War

The challenges of Russia’s full-scale invasion have profoundly transformed Ukrainian society, reshaping how people perceive their well-being, life priorities, and professional aspirations. The fourth wave of the annual “Women’s Well-Being Pulse” study, conducted by Gradus in partnership with the NGO “Aftertomorrow”, expanded its scope this year by comparing the experiences and career strategies of both Ukrainian women and men. The findings reveal a striking paradox: despite widespread emotional burnout and stress, a growing desire for leadership, professional advancement, and reskilling is emerging across society.

War Takes Away Peace of Mind, But Not Ambition: The Psychological Context

The prolonged war continues to have a profound impact on Ukrainians. Respondents most frequently report that the war has deprived them of peace of mind (72% overall). Women experience this loss more acutely than men: 76% versus 68%. Many also report losing the ability to plan for the future (49% overall, including 53% of women) and a sense of long-term prospects (44% overall).

This pressure directly affects everyday well-being. Emotional burnout over the past year was reported by 49% of Ukrainians. Among women, the figure reaches a critical 56%, compared to 42% among men. Rising stress levels compared to the previous year were noted by 47% of women and 41% of men. Meanwhile, 43% of respondents report a deterioration in their psychological well-being, while 42% point to worsening physical health, with little gender difference.

At the same time, women continue to shoulder growing responsibilities. Over the past year, they have spent significantly more time on household duties (38%), caring for their health (46%), supporting relatives (30%), and caring for children (24%).

Rising Demand for Leadership and New Career Strategies

Despite immense pressure and fatigue, the data point to growing resilience and ambition. Nearly half of Ukrainian women (48%) say they aspire to career advancement and leadership roles, reflecting a gradual increase compared to previous years. Among men, the figure stands at 53%.

Even stronger is the willingness to take on leadership responsibilities directly: 55% of women say they are ready for promotion and greater responsibility in managing projects or organisations, up from 50% in 2024. Among men, 65% express such readiness.

When asked about their preferred career path, both women and men place entrepreneurship and self-employment at the top of the list (29% overall). However, 22% of women say that career development is currently not a priority for them, compared to 17% of men.

What motivates people to take the next step professionally? If offered a promotion with substantially greater responsibilities, 45% of women and 40% of men say a significant salary increase would be the decisive factor. The second most important consideration is maintaining a healthy work-life balance (19% overall).

The main barriers to professional fulfilment remain external: the absence of peace (43% of women and 47% of men) and economic instability (35%). Among women, internal barriers include a lack of courage and decisiveness (35%) and self-confidence (34%). Yet colleagues generally assess women’s professional capabilities highly: 78% consider women confident, while 83% praise their organisational skills.

Strong Potential for Reskilling into Traditionally Male-Dominated Occupations

As labour shortages intensify, women’s willingness to enter non-traditional fields is becoming an increasingly valuable resource for the Ukrainian economy. The study found strong interest in this area: 56% of women would like to learn more about opportunities to retrain for professions traditionally dominated by men.

However, women identify several significant obstacles to changing careers: balancing work and family responsibilities (46%), prejudice from society or their immediate environment (26%), discrimination from colleagues or management (25%), and a lack of relevant knowledge or skills (25%).

When considering traditionally male professions, provided that training is free of charge, women cite high salaries (64%), flexible working arrangements (49%), and the absence of workplace discrimination and bias (27%) as the most important factors influencing their decision.

“We see how the war is psychologically exhausting Ukrainians: burnout among women has reached a record 56%, while responsibilities at home continue to multiply. Yet the paradox of our reality is that, despite this fatigue, women are accumulating internal resources—more than half are ready to become leaders, take responsibility, and master new professions, including those traditionally considered ‘male’. Society and business must respond to this demand by creating free training programmes, introducing flexible working arrangements, and, most importantly, eliminating discriminatory practices in recruitment and within organisations,” comments Evgeniya Blyznyuk, sociologist, Founder and CEO of Gradus.

Organisational Culture: Hidden Discrimination and Workplace Toxicity

The study also highlights important challenges related to employer behaviour and workplace culture. While 71% of respondents describe their working environment as comfortable, many continue to encounter gender stereotypes and bias.

For example, during recruitment, 39% of women report being asked whether they have children they care for, compared to 23% of men. Questions about plans to have children are asked of 26% of women, while 22% are questioned about taking sick leave to care for a child. Men face such questions far less frequently (18% and 16%, respectively).

Women are also more likely than men to encounter toxic workplace behaviour. Over the past year, 27% experienced excessive criticism or deliberately tense working environments, 21% faced being ignored or having their opinions dismissed, 17% reported unfair treatment related to gender, age, or other characteristics, and 10% experienced humiliating comments or sexist jokes.

Only 62% of women who experienced inappropriate treatment felt comfortable reporting it to management, compared with 72% of men. The main reasons for remaining silent include doubts that complaints would be taken seriously (31%) and the belief that the incident was not serious enough to report (27%). Furthermore, in 35% of reported cases involving women, management took no action.

“The fourth wave of the study reveals a troubling paradox for Ukraine: emotional burnout among women is rising rapidly, while at the same time their willingness to take on leadership, responsibility, and new professional roles is growing. Ukraine’s labour market increasingly relies on women’s ability to adapt to crisis conditions, yet it still fails to convert this resilience into equal access to influence, opportunities, and safe working environments. Questions about childbearing during job interviews, tolerance of toxic behaviour, and distrust of women’s competence are no longer isolated incidents—they are signs of systemic inertia. If businesses and policymakers genuinely view women as a pillar of economic recovery, they must invest not only in reskilling and new opportunities, but also in a culture of respect, trust, and fair rules,” says Iryna Rubis, Chair of the NGO “Aftertomorrow”, Co-founder of Biasless, and Diversity & Inclusion Strategist.

The full analytical report is available for download via the form below.

The study was conducted by Gradus using a self-administered questionnaire distributed through the Gradus mobile application. The target audience included employed women and men aged 20–50 with middle-income levels, as well as students living in Ukrainian cities with populations of 50,000 or more, excluding temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. Fieldwork for the fourth wave was conducted between 23 and 26 April 2026. The sample size for the fourth wave was 2,000 respondents.