Over 100 women trained at the Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs
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In 2025, every eighth women-led business was opened in the capital, 20,286. Opening of the Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs in Kyiv. Photo: UN Women/Anton Borysiuk
UN Women continues to support the professional development of women in Ukraine, expanding their economic rights and opportunities.
The full-scale war has significantly reshaped the economic landscape:
Women account for 82% of all registered unemployed.
Many have lost their primary breadwinner and face increased caregiving responsibilities.
At the same time, the number of women seeking new economic opportunities is growing. In 2025, women accounted for 60% of newly registered individual entrepreneurs, although an equal share were forced to cease their activities.
To support women on this path, UN Women implements programmes that help them start or scale a business, access training, increase visibility, and find partners and investors.
Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine, at the opening of the Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs in Kyiv. Photo: UN Women/Anton Borysiuk
One such initiative is the Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs, created by UN Women in partnership with the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with financial support from the Government of Sweden.
In October and November 2025, more than 100 women from Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and Kharkiv regions, as well as the city of Kyiv, joined the training.
Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the opening of the Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs in Kyiv. Photo: UN Women/Anton Borysiuk
The programme targeted internally displaced women who:
are entering the labour market for the first time.
seek to resume entrepreneurial activity.
have business ideas that require structure and support.
Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs in Kharkiv. Photo: UN Women/Dmytro Yarish
Participants completed 10 intensive modules, ranging from strategy, finance, marketing, and export to legal aspects and leadership development. The program culminated in a hackathon where they presented their business ideas.
The mentoring and training teams supported participants in building business models, analyzing markets, preparing for investment, and shaping their strategic vision.
Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs in Zaporizhzhia. Photo: UN Women/Olha Opilat
Today, graduates of the Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs continue to work on launching their own startups and preparing to participate in grant programs.
Academy of New Opportunities for Young Female Entrepreneurs in Dnipro. Photo: UN Women/Yevhenii Kharchenko