The global COVID-19 pandemic envokes numerous challenges in many areas of societies, including social services. The idea of ‘social distancing’ contradicts the whole idea of social work and inevitably causes deepening social exclusion. This study is aimed to analyse peculiarities of Ukrainian social workers’ activities under severe quarantine restrictions or lockdown. Special attention is paid to local social services for the elderly as a group recognised as most vulnerable to COVID-19. A survey of representatives of territorial centres of social services in Ukraine, conducted in August 2020, revealed some problems caused by restrictive quarantine measures and positive changes in the centres. The study highlights some surprising contradictions in the impact of the pandemic on social work practice with the elderly. Social services providers in local communities (territorial centres of social services, social services centres for families, children, youth, etc.) received almost no additional support during the quarantine. Yet, they consider introducing new, distant forms of communication, adjusting the work schedule, etc., as positive changes in service provision. The study determines that the response to the challenges of a problematic situation depends on local characteristics and mostly on human resources – work organisation and professional adaptability. An important role belongs to the ability of social workers to act in emergencies, the availability of standard procedures, protocols, and resources for use in such situations, understanding the need to adhere to values of social solidarity. The specific applications from the study results are drawn for Ukrainian social work.

The issue of gender equality as an equal treatment of all, regardless of social or other circumstances, is important for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the implementation of a number of international legal instruments to combat gender discrimination. The study aims to characterize the state of gender inequality in Ukraine and outline possible ways to overcome this phenomenon through the use of political, legal, socio-practical and educational measures. It is carried out using a systematic analysis of international and domestic indicators of gender inequality that constitute the methodological basis for establishing the level of gender inequality, as well as regulatory analysis of documents adopted by international and domestic organizations. The undertaken analysis demonstrates that Ukraine has an extensive legal framework designed to ensure equal rights and opportunities for men and women, address gender discrimination, and harmonize Ukrainian and international gender policies. At the same time, the gender equality indicators (Gender Inequality Index used by the UN; Gender Gap Index used by the World Economic Forum), the results of sociological research (World Values Survey; use of domestic work; leisure practices) evidence that the issues of gender inequality, gender asymmetry and gender stereotypes are unresolved and require the introduction of institutional mechanisms to ensure equality. Such mechanisms could include: legal expertise, gender quotas, gender budgeting, work with local communities and social service providers, ensuring gender sensitivity of services, including social ones, formation of gender-based competence, implementation of promotional work, introduction of gender approaches in educational institutions.