GENDER RESPONSIVE CAREER COUNSELING AS A TOOL FOR THE PROFESSIONAL RESOCIALIZATION OF WOMEN

Abstract

Introduction. The modern career counseling market in Ukraine often remains gender-neutral, leading to the disregard of genderbased discrimination and the reinforcement of inequality. Traditional methodologies, oriented toward the androcentric «ideal worker» model, prove ineffective for vulnerable categories, particularly women with children and women survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). The article highlights the necessity of shifting from technical career counseling to a comprehensive strategy for women’s economic empowerment, where financial independence is viewed as a fundamental factor in a woman’s safety and social rehabilitation. Purpose. To substantiate the necessity of implementing a gender-sensitive approach in the training system for career advisors as a key condition for the successful professional resocialization of women who have experienced GBV or find themselves in difficult life circumstances, based on the case study of the «Break the Circle» project. Academic novelty. For the first time, using a specific training case for the «Break the Circle» Hub counseling community, the article describes the methodology for integrating a gender lens into career support technology. The author’s development is based on the deconstruction of the idea of sole individual responsibility for success and a revision of the concept of career gaps in the context of unpaid care work. The role of linguistic representation (femininitives) and the legitimization of care work as tools for restoring a woman’s agency within professional discourse is substantiated. Conclusions. It is proved that the gender competence of career counselors allows for the identification of hidden barriers (glass ceiling, sticky floor, motherhood penalty) and the proposal of realistic development trajectories for women seeking to re-enter the labor market. Successful resocialization of women survivors of gender-based violence is possible only if the professional community understands the social context and rejects victim-blaming vocabulary. Future research prospects lie in implementing these standards into the work of state employment centers to create safeguards against economic dependence and violence.