• Many in Ukraine are angry at plans for female soldiers to march in heels at a miliary parade.
  • The odd choice of footwear is for an event in August to mark 30 years of independence.
  • Some called it disrespectful to Ukraine's female troops, who fight and die in boots like the men.

Ukrainian defence officials have been accused of making a "mockery" of women by insisting that female soldiers march in heels during a military parade in August.

In preparation for the event next month, to mark 30 years of Ukrainian independence, officials released photographs of women soldiers marching in black mid-heel pumps.

It sparked fury on social media and among Ukrainian lawmakers, some of whom called on defense minister Andriy Taran to attend the parade wearing heels himself, the BBC reported.

Olena Kondratyuk, the deputy parliamentary speaker, said authorities should publicly apologize for "humiliating" women. She noted that some 13,500 female soldiers had fought in the ongoing conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country, according to the Guardian.

Other political critics accused the defence ministry of "sexism and misogyny" and said "high heels is a mockery of women imposed by the beauty industry," Sky News reported.

A cadet, Ivanna Medvid, was quoted on the defence ministry's information site, ArmiaInform, as saying: "Today, for the first time, training takes place in heeled shoes. It is slightly harder than in army boots but we are trying."

https://www.businessinsider.co.za/ukraine-plans-make-female-soldiers-wear-heels-parade-sparks-fury-2021-7