On December 25, the Office of Regional Development and Recovery of Donetsk Oblast hosted a regular meeting of the Regional Coordination Council on Family Policy, Gender Equality, Prevention and Counteraction of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking, chaired by Oleksandr Shevchenko, Deputy Head of the Regional State Administration.
The event was attended by representatives of district military administrations, local communities, structural units of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, as well as international and public organizations. This composition of participants ensured cross-sectoral dialogue, the exchange of practical experience, and the development of common approaches in the field of gender equality, prevention and counteraction of domestic violence and gender-based violence, and human trafficking.
A number of topical issues were discussed during the meeting. In particular, Lilia Zolkina, head of the department for family, youth, and mass events of national-patriotic education of the regional state administration, reported on promising areas of activity and plans for cooperation with international and public organizations in 2026. The priorities of regional policy in the field of gender equality, prevention and counteraction of domestic violence and gender-based violence were outlined, and areas for further interagency and international cooperation were identified.
Kateryna Nikitiuk, a methodologist at the Department of Personal Development and a lecturer at the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at the Donetsk Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education, spoke about personal safety and violence prevention in educational institutions. She emphasized the importance of creating a safe educational environment, developing non-violent behavior skills, and early risk detection.
Svitlana Zakrevska, president of the Alliance for Civil Rights, reported on the organization's activities in supporting residents of the Donetsk region in 2025 and its plans for 2026. She presented the key achievements, areas of assistance to victims of violence, and outlined further steps to expand support for the region's population.
At the end of the event, as a symbol of partnership and gratitude to organizations working with internally displaced persons and residents of Donetsk region, the board game "Code of Donetsk Region" was presented. This game is designed to promote the history and identity of the region in an interactive way, to encourage dialogue and to develop teamwork.
Following the meeting, participants confirmed the importance of consolidating the efforts of government authorities, the public sector, and international partners for the effective implementation of state policy in the field of human rights protection, family support, and violence prevention in Donetsk Oblast, and outlined the main areas of work for the council for 2026.