“What gives me strength most of all is the change I see in women’s lives": The story of Kateryna, a case manager from Kharkiv”

Kateryna Shpin, a case manager with the “Unity Platform” NGO, near one of the collective sites. Kharkiv, February 2026. Photo: UN Women / Denys Kryvopyshyn.

“A woman who reached out for help after evacuation was completely overwhelmed. Step by step, we restored her documents, submitted applications for assistance, and later she found a job. The most valuable moment was when she said, ‘Now I feel like I have solid ground under my feet again.’ Moments like that remind you how important support is,” says Kateryna Shpin, a case manager with the “Unity Platform” NGO in Kharkiv.

For Kateryna, these words capture the true meaning of her daily work. As part of a project supported by UN Women, she supports women and families living in collective sites, helping them access the social, medical, humanitarian, and psychosocial assistance they need.

This year’s 8 March theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls,” takes on a very practical meaning in Kateryna’s work in Kharkiv. For her, rights mean being able to receive help and not be left alone in difficult circumstances. Justice means access to support and services. Action is the everyday work that begins with being ready to listen, explain, and guide someone through the process. These steps can help a woman feel supported again.

Why Kateryna returned to Kharkiv

Kateryna lives in Kharkiv with her family. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she worked at the Kharkiv City Council in the Department of Social Protection. Moving into the humanitarian sector felt like a natural continuation of that experience, as she has always sought to support people in difficult life circumstances.

“Supporting women and families is especially important to me, because they are among the most vulnerable groups and need comprehensive, systematic support,” Kateryna says.

She experienced the start of the invasion to the sound of explosions and constant calls from relatives and friends. What she remembers most from that day is the panic and fear for the lives of her family and loved ones. Later, the family was forced to move to another city, but returned to Kharkiv a year later.

“Despite all the risks of staying in Kharkiv, I want to remain here and keep working. I am motivated by the opportunity to be useful and to see the real impact of my work on the lives of women and families,” she says.

On rights, justice, and support

“For me, women’s rights in our reality today mean being able to stay in the profession, grow, and be protected from violence and discrimination. It’s about having access to decisions and being able to influence the future of your city,” she says.

Kateryna is convinced that for women in Kharkiv, formal guarantees alone are not enough. What matters is support that works in practice.

“Justice is when rights are backed by resources: shelters, counselling centres, employment programmes that continue to function even during the war,” Kateryna says.

In her daily work, she sees that sometimes what matters most for a woman is not only access to services, but also simple human treatment: attentiveness, respect, and confidentiality. When her story is not dismissed, but heard and taken seriously, she no longer feels alone with her problem.

For Kateryna, support means more than advising where to go, it means walking that path together with the person.

Kateryna Shpin, a case manager with the “Unity Platform” NGO, in one of the collective sites. Kharkiv, February 2026. Photo: UN Women / Denys Kryvopyshyn.

What challenges women seek help with

Women living in collective sites most often turn to Kateryna for social and humanitarian assistance, help restoring documents, support in applying for benefits, access to medical services, and psychosocial support. Yet behind each request there are not only practical needs, but also experiences of loss, stress, and forced adaptation. So far, the team has supported 122 individual cases, including 60 adults and 62 children, and continues to provide assistance.

“The most common barriers women in collective sites face are anxiety, chronic stress, the consequences of traumatic events, and the loss of social connections. All of this creates an unstable emotional state that makes it harder to cope with obstacles and live a full life,” Kateryna explains.

In these circumstances, case management is especially important as ongoing, systematic support rather than one-off assistance. Its strength lies in addressing a woman’s specific situation, her family context, her emotional wellbeing, and her practical needs, by combining social, psychosocial, medical, and humanitarian support.

She admits that this work requires not only professionalism, but also significant inner resources: “The hardest part is going through women’s pain with them while still remaining resilient and professional, especially when the options for support are limited.”

“Don’t stay alone”

Kateryna says that today Ukrainian women live in a constant balance between fear and hope. They are learning to find light even in the darkest days of blackouts and air raid alerts. In her view, this resilience needs to be seen both in Ukraine and beyond.

“Life is not easy right now, and it is normal to feel tired and afraid. But we must remember that our strength is in daily actions, in caring for ourselves and our loved ones, and in being able to keep moving forward, even when it is hard. We need to take care of ourselves and not be ashamed to ask for help,” Kateryna says.

After the war ends, she dreams of spending more time with her family, travelling, and creating shared memories. And she wants Ukraine to be a country where every woman and girl feels safe, has opportunities to grow, and feels confident about her future.

“Strengthening the Resilience of Collective Site Residents in Kharkiv Region” project is implemented by UN Women Ukraine in partnership  with NGO “Unity Platform.” The project is financially supported by the Governments of Sweden and Latvia, as well as by the UN Women  National Committees.    

This publication has been produced with the financial support of the Governments of Sweden and Latvia, but this does not imply that the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations.