Ukraine govt under fire for making female soldiers parade in heels

The Ukraine government is facing criticism from within and outside after the country's Defence Ministry released pictures of women soldiers marching in high heels during a parade.
 
The ministry had released the photograph of parade preparations for August 24 to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. However, the country's Defence Minister Andriy Taran is facing criticism from his own colleagues.
 
"The purpose of any military parade is to demonstrate the military ability of the army. There should be no room for stereotypes and sexism," a joint statement from three Cabinet members, including Minister of Veterans Affairs Yulia Laputina, said.

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The statement said about 57,000 women serve in the country's armed forces and "have proved their worth not in heels, but with machine guns."
 
Several lawmakers came to the country's Parliament with pair of shoes, asking the defence minister to wear high heels for the parade, The Guardian reported.
 
"It is hard to imagine a more idiotic, harmful idea," Inna Sovsun, a member of the Golos party, was quoted as saying.
 
Following widespread criticism, Taran reportedly said on Saturday that he had instructed officials to look into whether "experimental" shoes - ankle boots, could be worn by the female cadets instead of the pumps with heels.
 
The military offered no explanation as to why female cadets were wearing a different type of shoe than male cadets.

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