| Sumario: | The article discusses an interdisciplinary approach-based study of the current gender equality issues in the Ukrainian security and defense sector. The range of tasks – the completion of which determines successful implementation of gender policy in the national security and defense sector– is outlined. Particular attention is paid to identifying prospects for the formation of equal rights and opportunities for women and men, which should be implemented at both institutional and personal levels. The research was conducted with the unity of interdisciplinary, concrete historical and systematic approaches, methods of philosophical reflection, systematic and comparative analyses, studies of documents and surveys. An analysis of legal documents and standards within the framework of international and national legislations that outline the boundaries of gender policy implementation in the security and defense sector revealed zonal inconsistency of gender equality practices in terms of NATO standards and national gender strategies. For the efforts in overcoming gender gap and stereotypes, the current study has traced the dynamics of change in the practices applied within the Ukrainian security and defense sector since the National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security became imperative. Despite significant positive changes in ensuring gender equality in the Ukrainian security and defense sector at the institutional level, there are problematic aspects at the personal level that significantly slow down the process of reforming the sector and can undo all gender initiatives. The range of tasks to solve the identified problems is formed in line with building personal gender awareness and gender competence among the personnel, including superiors and executives at all levels. Educational practices, first and foremost, in higher education institutions of the security and defense sector should play a leading role in completing these tasks. The analysis carried out resulted in the need for reconciling formally legitimate institutionalized programs, projects, tasks and the internal consent – the recognition of necessity to fairly realize equal rights and opportunities for women and men by the representatives of the security and defense sector structures themselves. It is becoming of fundamental importance to implement changes in personal practices of everyday life, which are conjugated with the deep transformations of personal value attitudes and orientations towards building gender tolerance and gender culture, rejecting sexism and gender-based violence as well as forming individual responsibility.
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