Ukrainian defence officials criticized after female soldiers made to march in heels

Ukrainian defence officials have been accused of making a "mockery" of women after official pictures showed female soldiers rehearsing for a military parade while wearing heels. According to BBC, Ukraine’s defence ministry is preparing to st a military parade on August 24 to mark 30 years of independence following collapse of Soviet Union. officials have plans to have female soldiers march in high heels instead of army boots, which has sparked angry reactions. 

While defence ministry has reportedly said that shoes are part of a regulation-dress uniform, Irina Gerashchenko, an opposition member of parliament, said it was sexism, t equality. Several or Ukrainian ministers also expressed shock at plan. A group of lawmakers have even called on Defence Minister Andriy Taran to offer an apology. 

'Medieval' mindset

As per reports, Gerashchenko said that she initially thought pictures of women soldiers rehearsing in combat trousers and black pumps with block heels was a hoax. She added it was sexism, t equality, and wondered why ministry thought heels were more important than designing body armour tailored to women. An army veteran, Maria Berlinskaya, also said that a parade should demonstrate miliary prowess, but this one was to “titillate” senior officials in grandstands.  

Olena Kondratyuk, who is deputy parliamentary speaker, pointed out that more than 13,500 women had fought in current conflict pitting Ukraine against Russian-backed separatists in east. Kondratyuk called for an investigation into picture and called m “humiliating” for women. Or critics accused defence ministry of "sexism and misogyny" and said that high heels are a “mockery of women imposed by beauty industry".

Moreover, some Ukrainian lawmakers even reportedly took pairs of shoes into parliament as part of ir protests and renewed ir calls for defence minister to wear heels to next month's parade. choice of footwear even sparked a torrent of criticism on social media and in parliament and led to accusations that women soldiers had been sexualised. While taking to Facebook, commentator Vitaly Portnikov called it a “real disgrace” and added that some Ukrainian officials had a “medieval” mindset.

(Im: Twitter)