People all around the world have slammed Ukrainian authorities after official photos showed female soldiers in Ukraine prepare for a military parade next month with heels rather than the traditional army boots.
The country is gearing up for an official celebration on August 24 to commemorate 30 years of freedom since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The defense ministry has released photos of clearly exhausted female troops marching in black mid-heel footwear.
According to reports, cadet Ivanna Medvid said: “Today, for the first time, training takes place in heeled shoes. It is slightly harder than in army boots but we are trying.”
This choice of footwear generated outrage on social media and in parliament, prompting charges of the sexualization of female soldiers. Several Ukrainian lawmakers also arrived in parliament with pairs of shoes, encouraging the defense minister, Andrii Taran, to attend the parade in high heels.
Inna Sovsun, a member of the Golos party, said: “It is hard to imagine a more idiotic, harmful idea”. She added that women soldiers were, like men, risking their lives and ‘do not deserve to be mocked’.
People have used social media to express their displeasure at the country’s obvious misogyny. More than 31,000 female soldiers serve in Ukraine Military services, with over 4,000 of them serving as officers. To say the least, this type of sexism is humiliating.