The question of Ukrainian cities' reconstruction must be already under consideration. Though dozens of cities have been completely destroyed, the full-scale Russian invasion hasn’t finished yet. Therefore, various initiatives and companies joined forces to help Ukraine reconstruct its cities and develop inclusive spaces in terms of world examples. Sergey Tokarev, the founder of the Roosh tech company, commented on STEM and FEM participation in reconstruction and how this initiative will help Ukraine.

Breaking stereotypes

When it comes to reconstructing, a strong stereotype has been reserved for ages. Men have always been engaged in developing road infrastructure for quick access to workplaces, creating parking lots, and constructing business centres, etc. Yet other important for society needs were left without attention.

According to Sergey Tokarev, women also must be integrated into the restoration and reconstruction of the country. They regard the needs men usually skip. The businessman exemplifies the company’s recent research on a possible business move. They surveyed to find out developers’ wishes about relocation. They encountered a big discrepancy between the needs of men and women. Women paid serious attention to safety, the environment, infrastructure development, and housing.

Deploying the neighbors’ experience

Sergey Tokarev notes that city reconstructors must consider all the needs of a target audience. This will increase the value that must be a driving force for construction companies. Infrastructure development and decoration only add value to the project.

The entrepreneur ensures when reconstructors accept these needs; they will get much higher demand. Along with this process, the local government will also join the project. Such a synergy will bring a beneficial collaboration for business, government and a customer. In Europe, this already works. There are pilot projects which consider women’s needs.

Inclusive reconstruction

In Ukraine, women should be integrated into the country's reconstruction from different perspectives: from the active public to architects, designers, representatives of local administrations, and businesses.

Sergey Tokarev notes it is important to start this process already now. In parallel, it is essential to conduct educational campaigns and deploy the world examples of developing inclusive spaces. As an answer to the initiative, STEM and FEM decided to involve school girls and students in projecting public spaces.

The company launched a course as a part of the UNITY (Mriemo ta diemo) program. It started in the fall of 2022. Since that time, girls could get familiar with the basis of urbanism and architecture.

They met the most influential Ukrainian and international specialists in the field. The experts shared their experiences and helped girls formulate their vision for a future country reconstruction. They also encouraged girls to participate actively in this process.

At the end of February 2023, participants introduced their projects. Soon, the best works will be determined. The campaign's next stage includes improving and implementing the best projects.