Daria, a newly graduated construction engineer, practices during a bus-driving training course in Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, on July 23, 2024. (Narciso Contreras / Anadolu / Getty Images)In the fifth year of resistance to Russia's full-scale aggression, labor shortage has become the main challenge for Ukrainian businesses.Mobilization on the one hand and emigration on the other have reduced the labor force by millions. It's not difficult to imagine the consequences: labor shortages increase salaries and, therefore, producers' costs. They also limit firms' production capacity and their ability to export. At the macroeconomic level, a shortage of workers leads to slower economic growth and higher inflation. These would be worrisome developments for any country hoping for sustainable growth.At the same time, according to Info Sapiens, the unemployment rate in March 2026 was 15%, while about 30% of people aged 18–65 were economically inactive. The inactivity rate is much higher among women (35.7%) than among men (22.6%).Due to current labor shortages and forecasted recovery needs of about 5 million additional workers, it would be unwise to waste this potential. Thus, it is important to understand what Ukrainian women want to do and what demands they have to potential employers.Bringing more women into the workforce means not only higher GDP growth but also higher labor productivity and, where women rise into leadership, greater innovation.Yet none of this will happen unless we address the infrastructure that determines whether women can pursue careers in the first place.How greater involvement of women in the labor force can increase Ukraine's GDP. Pt.1. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)How greater involvement of women in the labor force can increase Ukraine's GDP. Pt.2. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)How greater involvement of women in the labor force can increase Ukraine's GDP. Pt.3. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)How greater involvement of women in the labor force can increase Ukraine's GDP. Pt.4. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)Without sufficient childcare, with kindergartens in short supply, and under the burden of social expectations, Ukraine will struggle to unlock the full potential of its women. We know that one-third of Ukrainian women who are not employed cite household and caregiving responsibilities as the reason.The good news is that 73% of surveyed non-working women want to find a job, with more than half hoping to do so within a year and nearly 30% within two years. For the economy, this means about 3–3.5 million potential workers capable of producing a significant macroeconomic effect. Going back to Ukraine's recovery needs, they cover the majority of the workforce required.