UN Women Connect - an annual event to unite partners in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in Ukraine.

UN Women Connect is an annual event from UN Women in Ukraine that brings together our partners in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in Ukraine.

Three intense days, about 15 hours of training and group dialogues, 20 speakers, more than 50 representatives of civil society organizations and international partners, together with the UN Women Ukraine team, met to...

• Share experiences and opportunities to strengthen the capacity of civil society for gender-responsive and inclusive recovery;
• Form strong connections and a networking system between civil society organizations;
• Discuss expanding opportunities for women and girls to participate in peacebuilding and humanitarian initiatives across Ukraine;
• Get acquainted with the UN Women Strategy for Ukraine for 2025-2029;
• Celebrate the key achievements of women and girls as part of the 140th anniversary of the women's movement in Ukraine.

"I often think about the women who lead organizations in Ukraine. About all of you who continue to work and make yourselves stronger to fight for equality. And it's exciting to see how many women's organizations are demonstrating their desire to continue to advocate for equality and peace", said Tonny Ann Brodber, Head of the Secretariat of the UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) at the opening of the event.

Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine, also welcomed the participants: "UN Women was established quite recently, but it is one of the UN agencies that supports women's movement and works to promote women and gender equality. That's why we are here for you, we are here to hear your voices, we are here to take into account more needs and more requests. For the third year now, we have been meeting and exchanging experiences, learning from each other. And we look forward to our joint cooperation in the future".

At the event, participants also took part in networking activities and improved their skills in thematic sessions on:

• Building effective communications for better results and impact;
• Writing grant applications and fundraising;
• Results-based management;
• Gender Responsible Governance;
• Economic empowerment of women;
• Participation of women and girls in the humanitarian sphere.

We believe that the experience and knowledge gained will help build a strong network of women's movement organizations in Ukraine to work effectively towards gender equality and recovery.

The UN Women Connect 2024 event is organized with the technical support of UN Women Ukraine and funded by the United Nations Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), the Governments of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the United States, the European Union and UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Photo: UN Women/Tymofiy Bohun, Anton Borysiuk