Olena Gorin is a fire service inspector by education and a pastry chef by vocation. Olena's husband is a military officer and defender of Mariupol, and has been in Russian captivity for more than 1.5 years. Olena has always been looking for a job she likes, not so much for money as for the desire to do something interesting. She used to do various work, but when she tried to bake gingerbread, she became passionate about it.

Oleksandra Samsonova, originally from Russia, had previously visited Ukraine frequently. During school years, she went abroad to study in the United Kingdom and the USA. Professionally trained as a lawyer, she graduated from the International Trade College but did not work in the field. In 2020, she delved into the topic of the war that her country was waging on East of Ukraine. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Oleksandra informed her family and friends that she would soon return. Carrying just one suitcase, she headed to Ukraine.

FACE OF FAITH by Marie Claire Business features 50 stories of women who started, rebuilt, and saved businesses in the first year of the full-scale war.

Alona Kharchenko is a former service industry professional who transitioned to social work following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Her journey reflects the resilience and dedication of women in times of crisis. Managing requests for the Veteranka Movement, a local NGO supported by UN Women promoting equal rights for women military personnel, Alona’s story unveils a transformative narrative shaped by personal experiences and a deep commitment to serving her community.

Yuliia Mykytenko’s journey from a multilingual translator to a UAV commander is a story of resilience and dedication. Born into an ordinary Ukrainian family, her life took an unforeseen turn in 2014 when Russia’s attack compelled her to pivot from being an interpreter to a soldier. What started as a matter of survival evolved into a transformative career in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, changing her fate along with those of other women military personnel.

Lviv, 4–5 December 2023 – UN Women Ukraine held the Women's Economic Empowerment Congress (hereinafter referred to as the Congress) for European integration and gender-responsive recovery. The Congress brought together more than 70 representatives of business associations, companies, state institutions, local self-government bodies, international development partners, and civil society organizations.

At the end of November, international trainer and expert on the localization of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda, Maia Avaliani, at the invitation of UN Women in Ukraine, conducted two trainings on "The Role of Women's Mediation in the Implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda and Recovery Processes in Ukraine" for representatives of regional and local authorities from Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kirovohrad regions.

On October 25, as part of the "Inside Out" project, 50 portraits of outstanding women of today who promote the Women, Peace and Security agenda through their work were installed in front of the main entrance to the UN Headquarters in New York. One of the 50 peacemakers featured in the Inside Out photo exhibition under the slogan "Peace begins with her" is Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandra Matviychuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

Hanna Demydenko, 38 years old, is an activist and a human rights defender. She has worked at many NGOs, including the Ukrainian Women Veterans Movement “Veteranka,” a local NGO supported by UN Women aiming for equal rights for female military personnel.

Iryna Klochko is a 38-years-old decipherer at "Eyes," a Ukrainian air intelligence unit. Before joining the army, she worked as a television director in Kyiv. Recently Iryna joined the Veteranka Movement to be part of a community of like-minded people and benefit from its services. With support from UN Women, the Veteranka Movement advocates for the rights of women in the army, and offers female military personnel psychological, rehabilitation, reintegration and educational support.

Viktoria Nazarenko is the Secretary General of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPD), an association of more than 100 organizations representing people with disabilities from different regions of Ukraine. NAPD works with various UN agencies, including UN Women, to include people with disabilities in humanitarian assistance and advocate for their rights.

Alisa Shramko, a 31-year-old mother of two, is a paramedic instructor at the Fastiv Voluntary Formation of the Kyiv Region. She is also a substitute instructor at Hospitallers Medical Battalion, a Ukrainian voluntary organization of paramedics who volunteered to provide first aid and evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers.

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.

The Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) has launched a Call for Proposals in Ukraine to support civil society organizations working to increase women’s participation in humanitarian and crisis response and enhance the protection of women and girls displaced by the war in the Ukraine.

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 Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) has launched a Call for Proposals in Ukraine to support civil society organizations working to increase women’s participation in humanitarian and crisis response, enhance the protection of women and girls, and improve the socio-economic recovery and political participation of women and girls displaced by the war in Ukraine.

Currently, 15.7 million people in Ukraine are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Attacks on populated civilian areas and infrastructure continue in eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, endangering people’s lives and access to basic services. UN Women Ukraine has reprogrammed its activities to reach those women and men that are most in need of essential items not available in the territories experiencing the fiercest attacks in the eastern Donetsk region.

The HeForShe movement in Ukraine is launching a dialogue with students on gender equality, with a focus on stereotypes and discrimination. UN Women's HeForShe solidarity movement for gender equality is going on a University Tour, which will feature five universities in Ukraine. The HeForShe University Tour has already taken place in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Thailand.

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.