Oksana Zholnovych – Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine (2022 – 2025).
Place of Birth, Education
She was born on February 21, 1979.
From 1996 to 2001 she received higher education at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv with a degree in Jurisprudence, qualification “Lawyer”.
Career
From September 2001 to June 2002, she worked as a teacher at the Stryi Agrarian College.
In the period from November 2001 to September 2005 she studied at the postgraduate course at the Department of Labor, Agrarian and Environmental Law of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and from September 2005 to June 2010 she held the position of assistant professor at the same department.
In September 2009, she received a certificate granting the right to practice law. For ten years, from 2009 to 2019, she was a member of the Council of Advocates of the Lviv region.
From July 2010 to June 2016, she worked as an associate professor at the Department of Labor, Agrarian and Environmental Law at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and since June 2016, she has moved to the position of associate professor at the Department of Social Law.
In the period from 2017 to 2019, she was an assistant to the rector of the Ivan Bobersky Lviv State University of Physical Culture. She also headed the company “Eurocontract Lviv”, which specializes in providing comprehensive services in the field of legal support and client service, and became the head of the Association of Women Leaders in Ukraine.
In addition, she was a co-founder and board member of the NGO “Ukrainian Center for Social and Legal Research”, as well as an expert of the NGO “European Vector of Reforms”.
In the period from 2019 to 2021, she worked as an adviser to the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine. At the same time, she held the position of a member of the Board of the Social Insurance Fund against Temporary Disability.
From 2020 to 2022, she headed the Department of Social Policy and Health Care in the Office of the President of Ukraine.
On July 19, 2022, the Rada approved Zholnovych as Minister of Social Policy.
On July 16, 2025, she resigned from the Cabinet of Ministers amid the resignation of the government.
Political Activities
In the period from 2014 to 2016, she was a member of the political party “Power of People”. At that time, she held the position of chairman of the Central Control and Audit Commission, leading the highest internal control body of the party.
From the Power of People party, she participated in the elections, four times nominating her candidacy to councils of various levels, but never won a mandate.
