“UN Women's new strategy on youth and gender equality aims to empower young people to partner in achieving gender equality. UN Women is collaborating with the NGO Girls and our government partners on this important initiative to mobilize young women and men, including representatives of youth organizations, and help them become agents of change. We hope it inspires you and your organizations to become more visible and active advocates for gender equality,” noted Julia Broussard, Deputy Representative of UN Women in Ukraine.

Women’s economic empowerment is essential to promoting women’s rights and gender equality. Central to this effort is employment, which not only fosters financial independence but also drives personal growth and achievement.

Before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Julia Kononchuk was studying at the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. She won a scholarship to study in Great Britain and was supposed to begin university there in the fall of 2022, but her visa was not granted in time.

Women and marginalized groups have key role to play in leading decision making on Ukraine’s recovery, which should help build the country back better and more equal. This was the main message of representatives of the Ukrainian government, women rights organizations, civil society, and the private sector that convened at gender responsive event held ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

Diana Andrunyk is a social photographer and photojournalist who has been working in artistic and advertising photography for 11 years. She has been working with Veteranka, the Women Veteran Movement, since 2021 on several projects together with military personnel. One of them is "A woman warrior is first and foremost a woman.” Five months after the full-scale Russian invasion, Andrunyk was forced to leave Ukraine and move to the United Kingdom (UK) for the safety of her family.

Veronika Lytvynenko is a volunteer and graphic designer for the Ukrainian Women Veteran Movement. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine found her in Kyiv, and her entire family in Mariupol.

Yuliia Kirillova is a woman veteran who, after returning from the war, was able to successfully adapt to the new reality, find herself and support the others. At the age of 28, she became a teacher in the university and fights for women's rights in the army and beyond.

December 9, 2022, Кyiv, Ukraine - Denise Brown, the United Nations Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Geeta Kuttiparambil, UN Women Ukraine Representative, a.i., and Tetyana Kudina, Programme Coordinator, UN Women Ukraine, co-hosted the United Nations Thematic Dialogue with Ukrainian Women’s Civil Society Organizations. The event was held in Kyiv on December 7th.

As of 25 March, more than 10 million people had been forcibly displaced by the war in Ukraine, with more than 3.7 million fleeing to neighbouring countries. To gage the differential impacts of the war and the specific needs of vulnerable groups, UN Women and CARE International produced a Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) and drew out recommendations on how to improve humanitarian responses.

Millions of people have been fleeing their homes in Ukraine since the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 turned into a full-fledged war. In Cahul, a border region in the south of the Republic of Moldova, local public authorities, volunteers and civil society are doing what they can to help, guide and host those on the move.

As a result of the Russian Federation’s military invasion of Ukraine, close to 2 million people have been internally displaced inside the country and more than 3 million refugees have already crossed international borders. As of 13 March 2022, there were 106,994 refugees from Ukraine in Moldova, most being women and children. This is also the case of an extended family of 12 members of the Roma community who were forced to flee their homes in the village of Arbuzinka, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine, to seek safety, protection and assistance in the Republic of Moldova.

More than 400,000 people from Ukraine have crossed into the Republic of Moldova since Russia’s invasion on 24 February. According to Moldova’s Bureau for Migration and Asylum, over 1,600 Ukrainians had requested asylum as of 10 March.

On 24 February, Natalia, Irina and Cristina, three friends and mothers from Odessa, woke up to the sound of air-raid sirens and explosions. Russia’s military offensive had begun.

In the two weeks since Russia began its military offensive in Ukraine, more than 1,5 million people have fled their homes, the vast majority women and children. Those who flock to border crossings – and those who stay behind to defend their country – face immense risks, hardship and scarcity. Meet just a few of the women we spoke to on the front lines of the crisis in Chernivtsi.

Across Ukraine on 24 February, people awoke to the sounds of sirens and explosions as Russia began its military attack. Since that morning, more than 870,000 Ukrainians – the vast majority women and children – have fled to neighbouring countries.

UN Women's global movement for gender equality, HeForShe, in partnership with StarLightMedia group, launches a dialogue on gender equality with Ukrainian media. MediaForShe Congress is an event where Ukrainian media will talk about changing approached to women's representation in the media and the creation of non-discriminatory content.

Ivanna Levchenko is a second-year student at the Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman. She is also a member of AIESEC organization which aims to bridge the gap between countries and people. Today, more than half the world’s population is under 30 years of age. Students and youth are the new generation of leaders and changemakers, and it is critically important to understand their priorities as we shape the gender equality movement to change the world.

Violetta Rec is the Chairperson of the Student Cadet Council at Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs in Ukraine. Today, more than half the world’s population is under 30 years of age. Students and youth are the new generation of leaders and changemakers, and it is critically important to understand their priorities as we shape the gender equality movement to change the world.

Daria Sholomitska is a 2nd-year student of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Today, more than half the world’s population is under 30 years of age. Students and youth are the new generation of leaders and changemakers, and it is critically important to understand their priorities as we shape the gender equality movement to change the world.