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Stories of Ukrainian Women Leaders

The stories highlight women leaders responding to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war against Ukraine. This collection of stories was prepared by the OSCE’s WIN Project: https://www.winprojectosce.org.
  • Ukrainian feminists at war
    ‘The Lead Feminist’ - this is how Svitlana Dubyna is unofficially referred to in her city of Vinnytsia, in west-central Ukraine. Although an experienced activist, Svitlana finds this title complicated: the attitudes towards feminist movements vary and, due to a lack of knowledge, women feminists are still treated with caution. “I simply laugh back saying we don't eat men for breakfast unless it’s dessert," Svitlana jokes. As head of the board of the human rights NGO “VIS” (“Axis”), she shares what was her path to feminism and how the movement has survived since the beginning of the full-scale war.
    Story
  • Save Our Souls: a Ukrainian psychologist working in hotspots
    During the first month of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Kateryna Haidamachuk, a senior psychologist from the General Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in Kyiv oblast, was part of the efforts to rescue civilians from the grip of Russian forces. She witnessed the horrifying aftermath of the atrocities in Borodianka.
    Story
  • Challenging stereotypes – how war gives young Ukrainian girls new opportunities
    Yuliya Sporysh’s work days are diverse and extremely busy – one day she is giving speeches at international conferences and the next she is connecting with survivors of gender-based violence in Ukraine. As the founder and director of the Ukrainian NGO “Girls”, Yuliya’s work has increased tenfold and has already supported 150,000 women and girls, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine.
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  • A job to help people in a country that now needs it most
    Yana Liubimova, a former volunteer and social activist, knows what it feels like to seek shelter in unfamiliar cities because of war. Twice a displaced person herself, she continues to help people, even after she has taken the position of Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament – e.d.) Commissioner for Human Rights.
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  • The invisible frontline: How the fight for women’s rights changes in times of war
    Marta is a feminist, gender expert, psychologist and the first Ukrainian woman to receive Olof Palme Prize, the prestigious international annual Swedish award for outstanding achievements in protecting and promoting human rights. Since 2014, and specifically after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Marta Chumalo has been helping internally displaced persons (IDPs), defending the rights of women survivors of domestic violence, and calling the world’s attention to horrific consequences of this war.
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  • Young women speaking out for peace in Ukraine
    At twenty-one, Anna Popsui, an activist and master’s student at the Kyiv Institute for International Relations, combines her work and studies with leading a non-governmental organisation, the Young Peacebuilding Leaders (YPL) network. Despite the fear and uncertainty caused by Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, Anna has found the strength and courage to make every effort to support young women in Ukraine.
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  • On the frontline of working with internally displaced women in Ukraine
    Despite the war, Tetiana Baieva, Head of the Podillya Gender Council Centre, works tirelessly on supporting internally displaced persons and implementing the national strategy related to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security at the local level.
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