Kyiv, 14 February 2022 (TDI): Women in Ukraine are building the foundation for a more sustainable future by starting green enterprises that are booming. It is a country that has a lot of factories and one of the world’s biggest coal mines.
Women in Ukraine are experimenting with environmentally and socially safe business practices. Donetsk, located in eastern Ukraine, was the final stop for Valentina and Tetiana Denysenko as they fled their home after a seven-year conflict.
Green for You, a micro-farm in Kharkiv, grows lettuce, herbs, and microgreens that are harvested at the very beginning of their growth cycle. The sisters receive monthly orders from restaurants totaling 300 kg.
In Ukraine, home to heavy industry and one of the largest coal mining operations in the world, passionate women entrepreneurs are adopting new approaches to business, putting environment and people first. https://t.co/DzlM51G5z8
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) February 12, 2022
Svidomo
There are many projects and initiatives supported by the UN migration agency (IOM) through its economic empowerment program, such as Green for You, which received funding for equipment in 2016.
The International Organization for Migration’s Svidomo Made pilot project, which began in November 2020, resulted in the formulation of the first voluntary Corporate Sustainability Standard for small and medium-sized Ukrainian businesses.
International best practices and national laws are also incorporated into the Standard’s ideals of human rights protection, ethical labor practices, environmental conservation, and anti-corruption.
According to recent research, many Ukrainian consumers recently stated that they would not purchase a brand’s products because of the company’s position on social or environmental issues.
One thing people think about corporate social responsibility is how important it is to make sure that employees have rights and work in an environment that is safe and healthy.
Almost one-quarter of small and medium-sized business (SMB) leaders said that if the Corporate Sustainability Standard was made mandatory, they would keep using it for a long time.
Impact on Small Businesses
Consumers in Ukraine are better informed about environmentally friendly businesses as a result of the Svidomo Made campaign. International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ukraine Director Anh Nguyen believes that “corporate sustainability” is primarily a function of huge companies.
Businesses in the MSME category are sometimes written off as inconsequential. Although they make up less than half of Ukraine’s GDP, they are the driving force behind the country’s development. While one small company may appear inconsequential, the aggregate impact may be massive.
Small company co-owner Valentina Denysenko and her sister are promoting ecologically responsible consumption and production methods through the use of recyclable packaging as well as educating young people on the necessity of exploring their surroundings and learning about their world.
Two schools will be selected to take part in a pilot program that gives children the chance to grow their own urban farms in their classrooms. Young people, these days aren’t even aware of how plants are grown or how they end up in shops. Salads and Microgreens aims to get the word out about the many health benefits of eating salads and microgreens.
In honor of International Women’s Day, UN News has compiled a multimedia collection of stories about influential women who are fighting to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all women and girls around the world.
There will be an interactive multimedia series of tales honoring famous women who are fighting to create a more sustainable and fair world ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. There are a lot of things the organization cares about because it’s part of the International Organization on Migration (IOM).
With the help of the corporate sector, they hope to eliminate forced labor and protect migrant workers’ human rights. As a result, the project’s main goal is to teach businesses about the importance of safe and ethical work practices.
The goal is to improve the business climate in Ukraine and to create alternatives to irregular migration, which leads people to search for better lives, often abroad, where they end up being trafficked both outside and inside Ukraine, says Anna Karelina, coordinator of the Svidomo Made project at the IOM Office in Ukraine.
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