When Kateryna Pryimak talks about civilian life after military service, she speaks from experience.
A Ukrainian war veteran and co-founder of the Ukrainian Women Veterans Movement, Pryimak knows that returning home from military service is rarely straightforward, especially for women.
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“A big part of our work is empowerment through education and helping women build a professional path after they serve in the war,” she says. “Women veterans face very different barriers than men, and those realities have to be acknowledged.”
Those barriers are complex and often overlapping. Pryimak points to caregiving responsibilities, household expectations, and sexism and discrimination in hiring practices.
“If you are a young mother, it’s already difficult to find a job,” she says. “If you are a young mother and a veteran, it becomes even more challenging.”
To help address these systemic challenges, Saskatchewan Polytechnic launched a $2-million, five-year project in 2025. As part of that effort, Sask Polytech is hosting a delegation from Ukraine this week, including Pryimak, through the Women Veteran Reintegration in Ukraine Project (WVRUP) funded by Global Affairs Canada.
While in Saskatchewan, the delegation will take part in workshops at Sask Polytech focused on women veterans’ reintegration, skills training and recognition of military experience. Discussions will focus on developing educational resources, trainer handbooks and assessment tools that support skills development and entrepreneurship, as well as policy development aimed at strengthening dialogue and advocacy for Ukrainian women military veterans.
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