WOMEN IN WAR: Motivations to Stay and Reasons to Leave. (Analytical note).

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Date

2025-03-28

Authors

Vakhitov, Volodymyr
Vakhitova, Hanna
Zaika, Natalia
Vyshlinsky, Hlib

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Abstract

This analytical report investigates the factors that influence Ukrainian women's decisions to remain in the country amid the ongoing war, as well as the constraints that prevent them from leaving. Drawing on a large-scale, representative survey and a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted in January 2025 with over 2,300 women aged 18–60, the study explores how security, housing, economic capacity, social ties, and perceptions of risk shape migration intentions. The findings highlight the importance of emotional attachment, access to housing, and the vision future in Ukraine. Key triggers for leaving include the threat of occupation, loss of housing or income. The study contributes to the emerging literature on immobility in conflict settings and offers policy recommendations aimed at supporting women who choose to stay and strengthening their resilience in high-risk environments.

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Keywords

Russian-Ukrainian war, wartime displacement, immobility, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stayers, returnees, discrete choice experiment, aspirations-capabilities framework

Citation

Vakhitov, V., Vakhitova, H. & Zaika, N. (2025). WOMEN IN WAR: Motivations to Stay and Reasons to Leave. (Analytical note). Kyiv: American University Kyiv. URI: https://er.auk.edu.ua/handle/234907866/142