Daria Zymenko combines art and activism in her work. In her creative projects, Daria explores personal and socially significant topics, including sexual violence and its consequences. She is also a member of the NGO “SEMA Ukraine”, which brings together women who have experienced sexual violence in captivity or during the occupation, a speaker, and participates in conferences and advocacy events.

‘The idea was my husband’s. We position ourselves as 'producers of cheese from happy cows’ milk.' The cows in the Hutsul region graze freely; they roam wherever they like, eat fresh grass and are supplemented only with pure hay without additives. From this milk, we craft our cheese. Here, in Shepit village, most people in the area had a tradition of keeping cows. We decided that this tradition was worth preserving, so we started buying milk from local residents...

‘By profession, I am a math and physics teacher and worked in the city. However, I always dreamed of owning a house in a village. In 1998 or 1999, I came across the concept of rural green tourism in Ukraine. It fascinated me, so I began attending conferences and talking to people who already had experience in this field. I realized it could become an exciting hobby for me...

‘The idea emerged about three years ago. We were united by gender issues: women’s rights, equality, their realization in the world, and their place in civil society... It so happened that this has already become our dream. Iryna and I have a generational difference, but these generations have come together, and their dreams have intertwined into a common goal — we strive to bring our ideas to life, which are filled with philosophy...

‘My story is both ordinary and extraordinary. Our great-grandparents had vineyards. My great-grandfather made wine and kept a wine cellar. In 2010, my husband and I received a wedding gift from our parents — a plot of land and a small country house. From that moment, we began searching for our path. We wanted to do something that was both interesting and profitable...

‘We lived in Bakhmut, Donetsk region. We had our own home and a large family. On May 19, 2022, after a Russian missile struck the city center, we decided we could no longer risk our children's lives and made the difficult decision to leave our home. We relocated to the Poltava region. Relocating people is not the same as transplanting a garden. We lost everything: our home, our jobs, our belongings, and the connections and community we had built. All of it is gone...

During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Russian missile struck the house where Natalia’s grandmother lived and where her father was staying that day while caring for her. Natalia’s father was killed along with almost all the other residents of the house. Only Natalia’s grandmother survived...

Kyiv — Russia’s three years of mass attacks on Ukraine are having a devastating effect on women and girls, with 1,869,000 internally displaced, almost 6.7 million women in need of humanitarian assistance, and more than 3,799 women and 289 girls killed, with the actual number of deaths likely much higher, according to the United Nations.

In the quiet village of Chesnyky, in western Ukraine, Rosolovska had built a family business specializing in cold-pressed cooking oils. When Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, her thriving business faced unprecedented challenges and was forced to halt production as the war disrupted supply chains and devastated key agricultural regions.

After three years of full-scale war in Ukraine, women are bearing the brunt of Russia’s war. But while they have endured violence and displacement, women throughout the country continue to advocate for resilience and equality.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is set to begin its fourth year, more than 1.7 million women and girls remain internally displaced throughout the country, according to IOM data. The war has been devastating for all the 3.7 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine – and also imposes gender-specific burdens on women and girls.

“For my business, winter with blackouts is a disastrous time,” said Iryna Fishchuk.

Olena Stryzhak is the Head of the Board of the NGO “Positive Women”, an activist and human rights advocate for women living with HIV in Ukraine. In 2000, when she was pregnant, Olena was diagnosed with HIV. But two years later, she became an activist and began helping other HIV-positive women go through this journey more easily.

“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.

Dnipro, Sumy, Poltava, Kyiv, Lviv ... and many other peaceful cities and villages around Ukraine are under daily deadly attacks by the Russian Federation.

Iryna Periv (25) from Lviv is an experienced lawyer and a dedicated representative of Ukraine’s vibrant youth who has been working with the Women's Perspective Centre for about two years on the “Women’s New Horizons” project, supported by UN Women and Sweden. On International Youth Day, learn how Iryna is driving positive change through her activism and advocacy.

My name is Yana Panfilova, I am 26 years old, and I am from Ukraine. I was born with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As a child, I feared that I would die, but my mother helped me understand that HIV is not a death sentence - you can still live a fulfilling life by taking good care of yourself. I dreamed of a world where teenagers living with HIV could create a movement and work together without hiding.

UN Women Ukraine unequivocally condemns the Russian Armed Forces’ mass missile attack on July 8, 2024, which struck civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including the National Specialized Children's Hospital «Ohmatdyt» and the Women’s Healthcare Center “Isida Clinic” in Kyiv. This attack resulted in civilian casualties and injuries, particularly among the most vulnerable categories of Ukrainian civilians.

UN Women unequivocally condemns the Russian Armed Forces’ attack on Friday, 28 June 2024, which struck a residential apartment building in Dnipro city, resulting in civilian casualties and injuries in a densely populated area.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024) concluded in Berlin on June 12, continuing the series of annual high-level political events dedicated to Ukraine’s swift recovery and long-term reconstruction since the onset of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The conference brought together over 3,400 participants, representing a wide array of stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, financial institutions, businesses, regions, municipalities, and civil society, all united by a shared commitment to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience for as long as needed.