Russia's attack on Sumy on April 13: UN Women calls for unwavering support for Ukrainian women’s rights organizations

photos: Tetyana Myronenko, Representative of Ombudsman in Sumy Region.

Every day, millions of Ukrainians in cities and villages across the country live under the persistent threat of indiscriminate attacks by the Russian armed forces. Human and women’s rights organisations are among the first responders, providing both immediate and long-term support to affected civilians, including critical services for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

These organizations, too, often become targets of deadly attacks. Today, some of our partners in Sumy were impacted by a Russian missile strike, including the office of the Ombudsman. Tetyana Myronenko, Representative of Ombudsman in Sumy Region, is leading vital work in the region—her office was partially destroyed in the strike.

photos: Tetyana Myronenko, Representative of Ombudsman in Sumy Region.

Yulia Savelieva, Regional Coordinator of Ukrainian Women's Fund, who supports UN Women in mobilizing women to advance women, peace and security (WPS) at the local level, also constantly feels the impact of the war, as their activities are implemented near the border. “This is a constant reminder of the danger, but we must nevertheless find points of support. This is, for example, the support from different parts of Ukraine and the world, when people write to us, call us, and express their willingness to help. It gives us confidence and strengthens our belief that not everything is lost, even despite such challenges,” says Yulia. She believes that this is exactly what women who have found the responsibility to be active, to take care not only of themselves but also of others: “It is definitely clear that our work will continue after the loss of so many lives, the disaster that happened yesterday. We see the need to continue our work and help women locally, despite the challenges we face.”

Photo: NGO Ukrainian Women's Fund

The safe space for women and girls from NGO “Girls” located in the center of Sumy and provides a wide range of services - from psychosocial support, legal and psychological counseling to language classes, financial literacy, and emotional relief activities. The organization offers long-term case management for survivors of gender-based violence. And due to the security situation, this space became a vital hub for children - a place of connection, recovery, and support. After yesterday Russia’s attack it was not damaged though the blast wave blew the windows open.

“No one from our team was physically injured in yesterday’s attack, but the shelling occurred in our neighborhood — our beneficiaries live here, and we recognized familiar faces on photos shared through local channels. It’s also the area where I live. The story of the 13-year-old boy wounded on the bus who managed to pull out other victims has already spread globally. That boy is from our school, which is also located nearby”, said Maryna Velitchenko, Project Manager NGO “Girls” in Sumy. Currently Maryna and her team don’t plan to close the center entirely, despite two more Shahed attacks in Sumy today: “In fact, during previous closures, women kept asking them to reopen, because this is the only safe and supportive space available to them”.

This is yet another stark reminder of the urgent need to support Ukrainian civil society and the organizations that continue their vital work under unimaginably difficult circumstances. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and with civil society, and we call for unwavering support for Ukrainian women’s rights  organizations. Lasting peace must be restored, and Russia must be held accountable for its crimes.