Embassy Ukraine

The Economy of Desire.

Low wages, gender discrimination, and a lack of social support make many Ukrainian women dependent on seeking partners or clients from wealthier countries. International dating websites, marriage agencies, escort services, and even surrogacy programs offer foreigners “the youth and beauty of Eastern Europe” at a relatively low price. For older or single men from Western countries, this looks like an opportunity to “buy” themselves a younger wife or lover, while for women it often represents an escape from poverty.

Exoticization and Clichés.

In global imaginaries, the Ukrainian woman often appears as the “ideal wife”: beautiful, obedient, and devoted. This cliché is reinforced by the marketing of dating agencies and sex-tourism forums. Such exoticization strips Ukrainian women of individuality, turning them into a commodity consumed on a global scale.

Sex Tourism and “Hidden Prostitution”.

Cities such as Kyiv, Odesa, and Lviv have become attractive to tourists not only for their culture or history, but also for the ease of access to the sex industry. Often this is not presented as outright prostitution, but exists in a “grey zone” — through nightclubs, escort services, or relationships based on financial support. In effect, an unofficial “market of bodies” is formed, oriented toward wealthy foreigners.

The Colonial Dimension.

In this context, Ukraine emerges as a “periphery of desire,” catering to the needs of the center — the wealthy countries. This is sex colonialism: when one side has resources and dictates the terms, while the other is forced to offer its body as economic capital. And even if a woman makes such a choice voluntarily, it takes place within a structure of deep inequality.