While speaking at the 8th Ukrainian Women's Congress, Petro Poroshenko thanked all women who participate in the defense of the state, volunteer and ensure the stability of the country. He recalled that since 2015, thanks to changes in the Electoral Code, women have received greater opportunities to participate in politics and public administration. Poroshenko also warned the government against curtailing democratic reforms and emphasized that the protection of democracy is also a matter of preserving Ukraine, the European Solidarity said on its website.

"On the one hand, there is no more important task than preserving Ukraine, because that is how the issue is posed. But protecting democracy is also preserving Ukraine. We cannot preserve Ukraine and not preserve democracy. And what is democracy? Democracy is a system where everyone is represented in the governing bodies of the state. And hence the conclusion: if women are not represented, it is not democracy," Poroshenko said.

"This process began in 2015, when my proposals on the gender quota were first applied in local elections. At that time, this figure was 30%. The Verkhovna Rada of the eighth, previous convocation adopted the Electoral Code with open lists. A gender quota of 40% was laid down," Poroshenko recalled.

"Now we need to prevent a rollback of reforms. Not to lose reforms in matters of decentralization, either in matters of corporate governance, or in matters of civil service, or in matters of women's representation," Poroshenko is convinced.

"What is needed now? Unity. What else is needed now? A government of national unity, a coalition of national unity," the leader of European Solidarity emphasized.

"We need the military to be represented, including in local elections, because this is the new elite. Volunteers are to be represented, because this is the new elite. The girls who remained in the occupation, they saved the situation, and are now making incredible efforts - they are the symbol of Ukraine's invincibility," Poroshenko emph