On June 12, 2025, a national online roundtable on the topic “Dignity, Equality, Security: Counteracting Violence against Women” was held as part of the seventh annual international campaign “10 Days of Activism against Violence against Women in Politics” (#EndVAWP #TakeItDown), in which representatives of state authorities, the public sector and experts, as well as representatives of the Department of Family, Youth and Mass Events of National and Patriotic Education of the Regional State Administration and representatives of territorial communities of Donetsk region, took part to discuss pressing issues of combating violence in wartime.
The roundtable was moderated by Maria Mezentseva-Fedorenko, People's Deputy of Ukraine and coordinator of the eastern region of the Ukrainian Women's Democratic Network. In her opening remarks, she emphasized the growing relevance of the issue of violence and the importance of consolidating efforts to protect women’s rights.
The main discussion was dedicated to the topic “Women in Politics and Public Activism during War: Challenges and Achievements”. Speakers representing different regions of the Eastern region shared their unique experiences and visions of the situation:
- Tetyana Yehorova-Lutsenko, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council, spoke about the challenges faced by women leaders in close proximity to hostilities and about successful initiatives in the Kharkiv region.
- Kateryna Yamshchykova, Acting Head of the Poltava City Council, focused on the role of local government in supporting women and combating violence in communities.
- Yana Litvinova, Head of the Starobilsk City Military Administration, shared her experience working under occupation and reconstruction, emphasizing the resilience and activism of women.
- Maksym Tsvelikh, Chief Specialist of the Department for Supporting the Work of Regional Representations of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted the legal aspects of protecting women's rights and the activities of the Commissioner's Office in the regions.
- Svitlana Yurchenko, Director of the Youth Center "Romantika" of the Sumy City Council, spoke about the importance of youth initiatives and their role in forming a conscious society free from violence.
After the speakers' speeches, an active discussion with the participants took place, which allowed those present to ask questions and discuss practical ways to solve the current problems that women face in wartime. The participants noted the importance of exchanging practical experience and expressed their readiness for further cooperation.
Concluding the round table, Maria Mezentseva-Fedorenko summed up, emphasizing that such events are key to raising awareness, coordinating efforts and developing effective strategies to ensure the dignity, equality and security of all women in Ukraine, and are also an important platform for exchanging experiences and identifying further steps in combating violence against women, especially in the Eastern region of Ukraine. The proposals discussed at the event will be included in the draft resolution of the National Round Table “Dignity, Equality, Security: Combating Violence against Women” (final). The event was organized by the Women’s Democratic Network (Washington, USA) and the All-Ukrainian Public Organization “Ukrainian Women’s Democratic Network” (UZHDN) with the support of the International Republican Institute (Washington, USA) in partnership with the Office of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights.