In the words of Iryna Periv: “Youth play an active role in shaping society, so it's vital to hear their voices”

Iryna Periv (25) from Lviv is an experienced lawyer and a dedicated representative of Ukraine’s vibrant youth who has been working with the Women's Perspective Centre for about two years on the “Women’s New Horizons” project, supported by UN Women and Sweden. On International Youth Day, learn how Iryna is driving positive change through her activism and advocacy.

“I am a graduate student and a lecturer at the Institute of Law, Psychology, and Innovative Education at Lviv Polytechnic National University. I aspire to defend my dissertation and publish a book on the Ukrainian women's movement. There is a significant lack of research on the historical and legal aspects of these events, particularly on women who were abroad or in exile. Sometimes, I even feel guilty about those pioneers who created history a hundred years ago and are now unjustly forgotten.

I am proud to stay with my alma mater, where I can implement many great ideas and projects. Currently, I am in charge of the Free Legal Aid Centre at our Institute. I work alongside a team of dedicated students. Most of the team members are enthusiastic and energetic young women. I learn a lot from them and appreciate their generation, even though there isn't a huge age difference between us. My students are very knowledgeable about various issues and are open-minded without prejudices.

Besides, I hold the position of deputy head at our Institute's Centre for Legal Studies of Gender Equality.

As part of my collaboration with the Women's Perspectives Centre, I offer primary legal support to internally displaced women in the Lviv region. The most common legal issues they face include difficulty in accessing social benefits, divorce, confirming the death of individuals in occupied territories and obtaining Ukrainian death certificates, domestic violence, acquiring residency status in mountain settlements for internally displaced people, and entrepreneurship.

In addition, I am the leader of the public organization YARII, which aims to protect human rights, specifically by implementing gender policies. Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, we have started working with children and supporting shelters. Later, we started working with orphanages that had been relocated to the Lviv region. Together with the Centre for Legal Studies of Gender Equality, we have developed a chatbot and information materials on how to safely cross the border. These materials have been distributed at railway and bus stations and wherever there are large groups of people, particularly among women with children.

I am also the co-founder of a social sewing studio that specializes in tailoring women's underwear. We direct a certain percentage of the funds we receive to educational projects for girls who are deprived of parental care. In the future, I dream of providing a loving home for a child and becoming a mother through adoption.

The full-scale invasion started almost three years ago, but the war in Ukraine has been ongoing for 10 years. There's hardly a part of my life that I can remember without war. In 2022, youth and women's organizations completely shifted their focus to responding to the crisis by creating shelters, providing humanitarian aid, and supporting the affected population in any way they could.

Last year, civil society organizations started to slowly resume their regular activities. This was accompanied by a positive focus on women's entrepreneurship and the increase in economic opportunities for women. Numerous projects were initiated to support women in starting their businesses. There is a higher representation of women in leadership roles, as well as increased opportunities and visibility for women.

Despite these positive changes, young women and girls still encounter challenges. They often face employment denial due to lack of professional experience, prejudice against marriage and parental leave, and preference for male candidates. Additionally, many high and professional educational institutions still lack facilities for mothers and children, making it difficult for female students with children to attend classes when they are unable to leave their children at home.

Ukrainian and international organizations, businesses, and institutions should work together and involve young people, as they are the future leaders who will rebuild our country. Youth play an active role in shaping society, so it's vital to hear their voices. In fact, young people in our country face many challenges, and it is essential to address and solve them in a way that resonates with the youth. Many of them have already had the opportunity to intern abroad, gain valuable experience, and return to Ukraine to implement positive practices here. If we fail to support the youth and dismiss their ideas, we will hinder progress.

My message to young people all over the world is to believe in yourself, listen to yourself, and go for your goals. We must be true to ourselves and support each other. I urge the Ukrainian youth to read more and pay attention to writings that were published a long time ago but are now timely. I recommend the works of Olha Kobylianska, Irena Knysh, and Oksana Zabuzhko. Oksana Zabuzhko's works have been translated into various languages, so when you meet acquaintances and friends from other countries, be sure to give them at least one of her books. In this way, the world will know more about Ukraine, and Ukrainians will learn more about themselves.”

This article is prepared within the UN Women’s project “Transformative approaches to achieving gender equality in Ukraine” with financial support from Sweden, and in cooperation with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.