Ukrainian women may return home due to difficulties finding work in their field
Some Ukrainian women who left the country due to the full-scale war may be motivated to return by the opportunity to reestablish their professional status in Ukraine. This applies primarily to highly qualified professionals who are not always able to work in their field abroad.
Ella Libanova, director and co-founder of the Institute of Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, made this statement on the “Planet of People” program. According to her, Ukrainian women may enjoy a higher level of safety and greater income abroad, but at the same time, they may lose their professional status.
“A doctor in Ukraine, a surgeon. What will she do in Europe? Work as a nurse—and in most cases, without a degree, meaning she’ll be a caregiver. Will that suit her? I’m not sure,” Libanova noted.
According to the demographer, it is precisely this loss of professional status that could become one of the factors prompting some highly qualified Ukrainian women to return home.
At the same time, it is more difficult to encourage women who are working abroad in their field and have retained their professional status to return to Ukraine. According to Libanova, they may hold similar positions but earn significantly higher salaries.
The demographer has also revised her estimates regarding the scale of a potential return of Ukrainians. In 2022, she expected that about half of those who left might return home, and ideally—up to 60%. Now her forecast is much more conservative—about 30%.
Separately, Libanova drew attention to the educational level of Ukrainian women who have moved abroad. According to her, about 70% of women aged 25 and older in this group have a college degree.
She explained that this is largely due to the fact that many of those who left were residents of large cities, particularly Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Source: UNIAN.
As a reminder, some Ukrainians currently in Poland under temporary protection must update their passport information by August 31, 2026. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the loss of their PESEL UKR status and, consequently, their right to temporary protection.
The EU has clarified whether the ban on temporary protection will affect men who have already left Ukraine.
