The aim of the assemblage is to equip Ukrainian defenders with winter apparel tailored for the female form.
The civic group “Zemlyachki” has commenced its yearly winter initiative to aid women in uniform – “Acquire a Coat” , with the objective of amassing 10,000,000 UAH for procuring winter garment sets and gear designed for women.
Currently, more than 70,000 women are enrolled in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, about 10,000 of whom are within combat roles. Nevertheless, existing military provisions remain largely designed according to male body dimensions, which complicates the service conditions for women, especially during colder months.
For the fourth consecutive year, the NGO “Zemlyachki” has been conceiving, producing, and supplying winter attire sets specifically for women at the front lines, considering the individual features of the female physique.
“Women’s winter outfitting is not merely an extra comfort, but a vital element of safety and effectiveness. The capacity to execute battle tasks effectively under challenging conditions hinges on properly chosen clothing and gear,” states Ksenia Draganyuk, the NGO’s co-founder.
Concerning the implication of the “Acquire a Coat” initiative
The initiative’s title offers a playful nod to the expression “Purchase an elephant,” a well-known phrase from childhood.
However, lurking behind the joke is the reality of war. “Buy a fur coat” stands as a call for conscientious action, an act holding direct significance: helping a woman at the front to possess warm, secure, and fitting clothing and gear throughout the winter.
The coat, within this setting, signifies warmth, thoughtfulness, and dignity, though behind it lies a comprehensive array of equipment: a winter women’s uniform, body armor accounting for the body’s anatomy, winter caps, and a properly sized helmet.
The initiative, displaying contemporary Ukrainians Serhiy Zhadan and Daniel Salem beside historical icons Khmelnytsky, Petliura, and Mazepa, underscores the primary concept: warmth and safeguarding aren’t luxuries, but core requirements for all defending the nation.
The initiative is fronted by Runa, a soldier with over eight years of service, commencing at the age of nineteen. She embodies the women defenders who lack formally sanctioned women’s winter uniforms within the official supply chains.
How to participate in the collection
The organization invites enterprises, communal efforts, and individual citizens to engage in the campaign via a range of convenient methods:
- Establish a support fund and publicize it within your sphere – be it on social media or within corporate groups.
- Orchestrate a charity affair (such as a brunch, auction, raffle, or creative gathering), contributing the proceeds to obtaining winter supplies for women defenders.
- Launch your personal fund-raising effort within the initiative – alongside comrades, associates, or within a company.
The NGO “Zemlyachki” avails informational content, visual aids, and advisory guidance to anyone seeking to take part.
Why is this essential?
The government does not yet furnish female military members with separate winter attire. It is for this reason the organization’s team devised a standard equipment set for women – consisting of field suits, fleece sets, thermal base layers, insulated trousers, overcoats, and boots, catering to the requirements of women in the military.
