Journal
УКР   ENG
Socio-Economic Problems
of the Modern Period of Ukraine
   



Collection SEPSPU -- sep2026.02.068

Repository of Institute of Regional Research UDC 351.84:305:330.4; JEL J16, H83, C43, O15
Kulish, I. M. (2026). Formuvannya intehral'noho indeksu sotsial'no-ekonomichnoyi efektyvnosti hendernoyi polityky v Ukrayini [Development of a comprehensive index of the socioeconomic effectiveness of gender policy in Ukraine]. In Sotsial'no-ekonomichni problemy suchasnoho periodu Ukrayiny [Socio-Economic Problems of the Modern Period of Ukraine]: Vol. 178 (2) (pp. 68-75). DOI: https://doi.org/10.36818/2071-4653-2026-2-8 [in Ukrainian].
Sources: 21

Authors



Kulish Inna Mykhaylivna

Ph.D. of Public Administration, Senior Researcher

Senior Researcher of the Department of regional ecological policy and environmental management of the Dolishniy Institute of Regional Research of NAS of Ukraine

Contacts: i_m_kulish@ukr.net, inna.m.kulish@gmail.com, reksi@email.ua

Webpages:

Resume

The paper proposes a methodological approach to constructing an integrated index for assessing the socio-economic effectiveness of gender policy in Ukraine. The study is based on the premise that existing international gender indicators predominantly focus on measuring disparities between women and men, while insufficient attention is paid to evaluating the effectiveness of gender policy as a public governance process. In this context, the need arises for a composite analytical tool capable of capturing both structural inequalities and the results of policy interventions in socio-economic terms. The proposed approach is grounded in a multidimensional system of indicators grouped into five functional domains: labor market performance, income and welfare, human capital development, economic participation, and political and managerial representation. This structure allows for a comprehensive reflection of gender-related outcomes across the key areas of socio-economic development. To ensure the comparability of heterogeneous statistical indicators, a min–max normalization procedure is applied, taking into account the direction of each indicator’s impact (positive or negative) on gender equality outcomes. Based on the normalized indicators, an integrated Gender Policy Effectiveness Index (GPEI) is constructed. The index aggregates standardized variables into a single composite measure that enables the assessment of the overall effectiveness of gender policy implementation. The methodological framework combines both “gap-oriented” indicators (reflecting gender disparities) and “participation-oriented” indicators (reflecting the inclusion of women in economic and political life), thereby integrating deficit-based and resource-based perspectives on gender equality. Empirical testing of the proposed index was conducted using Ukrainian data for the period 2021–2024. The results reveal a non-uniform dynamic of gender policy effectiveness, characterized by moderate improvements in selected dimensions, particularly women’s participation in entrepreneurship, alongside persistent structural inequalities, especially in wage gaps and political representation. These findings indicate that, despite some positive trends, gender disparities remain embedded in key socio-economic domains and require more targeted and systemic policy interventions. The study demonstrates that the proposed integrated index can serve as a practical tool for monitoring, evaluating, and comparing the effectiveness of gender policy over time. It also provides a basis for evidence-based public policy-making by enabling policymakers to identify priority areas for intervention and assess the outcomes of implemented measures in a structured and quantifiable manner.

Keywords:

gender policy, integrated index, socio-economic effectiveness, min–max normalization, public governance

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