On April 17, 2026, an expanded meeting of the regional coordination council on family policy, gender equality, prevention and counteraction to domestic violence and counteraction to human trafficking was held. In addition to the members of the coordination council, representatives of specialized structural units of district state administrations, district military administrations, military administrations of settlements and the public sector also participated.
During the meeting, the participants discussed topical issues of supporting victims of violence, mechanisms for protecting their rights, conducting information and educational initiatives, as well as the development of women's peacebuilding practices and intersectoral cooperation in wartime.
Hanna Karpechenkova, Field Humanitarian Coordinator for Gender-Based Violence at the United Nations Population Fund, spoke on the topic of a map of available services for survivors of violence and referral pathways. She focused on the conditions and requirements for working with survivors, and presented new tools in the field of GBV, including an interactive map of services across Ukraine and referral maps for regions with a significant number of internally displaced persons. Presentation at the link: https://surl.li/qydodq
Regional referral cards for victims of violence and an interactive map of services in the field of support for victims of gender-based violence are available at the link: https://surl.li/iwsype and https://surl.li/obslsd
Oksana Sudak, Deputy Head of the Kramatorsk Department of Free Legal Aid, informed about the procedure for providing legal aid and mechanisms for protecting victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence. The focus was on available legal protection mechanisms and opportunities for obtaining free legal aid. Presentation at the link: https://surl.li/sdlyet
Olena Kobets, Director of the Foundation “Union of World Cultures”, spoke about the competition of children's drawings and handmade products “My Family: From Generation to Generation”. She outlined the purpose of the competition, the conditions of participation and emphasized that the acceptance of works continues until May 1, 2026 inclusive. Presentation at the link: https://surl.lu/dtbzsy
Women's peacebuilding initiatives of the network "Ambassadors of Peaceful Change" and the collection of documentary essays "United at a Distance. Stories of Strength and Resilience of the 1325 Donetsk Region Coalition" were presented by Liliya Kislitsyna, President of the NGO "SMARTA", Coordinator of the 1325 Donetsk Region Coalition. During the speech, the results of the project aimed at strengthening the leadership potential of women IDPs from the Donetsk region and supporting their peacebuilding initiatives in communities were noted. Presentation at the link: https://surl.lu/bluazu
The meeting became an important platform for professional discussion of current issues of interagency cooperation, strengthening the support system for victims of violence, developing family policy, and presenting practices that contribute to community cohesion and support for residents of the Donetsk region in wartime conditions.