On 8 March 2025, join us to celebrate International Women’s Day under the theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” This year’s theme calls for action that can unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where no one is left behind. Central to this vision is empowering the next generation—youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls—as catalysts for lasting change.

The event was organized by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, the Higher School of Public Administration and the Center for Adaptation of the Civil Service to the EU Standards with the support of international partners, including UN Women Ukraine and the Government of Sweden. The main topics included gender equality in government policies and programs as a prerequisite for EU accession and for ensuring Ukraine's gender-responsible recovery; gender-responsible and inclusive adaptation and reintegration of female and male veterans into civilian life, namely the demand of society and the state's offer; preservation of human capital, including barrier-free and gender-responsible public service.

Olesya Bozhko is the head of "Space of Knowledge", a Ukrainian NGO helping children to receive high-quality free education and supporting women educators who lost their jobs due to the war. Bozhko is one of 17 women activists and civil society organizations (CSO) representatives working with vulnerable women’s groups, who participated in UN Women’s She Media School, a capacity building project aimed at improving women’s representation in the media. As the war in Ukraine reaches its one-year anniversary, it is essential to highlight women’s voices, particularly of those working to uphold women’s rights.

The war has severely impacted social cohesion, community security and the resilience of local communities, especially women and girls. Lack of access to social services including schools and strained community resources have increased the care burden of local women who responsible for the care for children, disabled and elderly family members.