On November 25, 2025, the Office of Regional Development and Reconstruction of Donetsk region held a regular meeting of the regional coordination council on family policy, gender equality, prevention and counteraction to domestic violence and human trafficking, which this year was held in an expanded format and actually became the opening of the International Campaign "16 Days Against Violence" in Donetsk region, which will last from November 25 to December 10, 2025.
Representatives of district military administrations, territorial communities, structural units of the regional state administration, international and public organizations joined the work of the council, which ensured inter-sectoral dialogue and exchange of practical experience in the field of preventing various forms of violence.
The meeting was opened by Liliya Zolkina, Head of the Department of Family, Youth and Mass Events of National and Patriotic Education of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, who made a report and outlined the key directions of the “16 Days Against Violence” campaign in the region. She emphasized the importance of systematic information work, the work of specialized services, including relocated ones, active interaction between authorities, public organizations and international partners, and also focused on the topic of digital violence, which is rapidly spreading and requires enhanced response measures.
The coordinator of the NGO “Avalist” Hanna Polyakova spoke about the risks of the online environment and mechanisms for protecting people in the digital space, presenting practical tools for countering cyberstalking, online blackmail and other types of digital aggression.
Olga Novikova, manager of the NGO “Desyate avrila”, presented updated opportunities for supporting victims of domestic and gender-based violence, in particular with an emphasis on working with IDP women and ensuring access to legal and psychological assistance.
Volodymyr Kondratenko, deputy head of the precinct officers’ department of the preventive activities department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk region, informed about the organization of response to cases of domestic violence by the National Police units. He spoke about the algorithms of actions, the work of the mobile group, interagency interaction and challenges faced by communities in war conditions.
Natalya Luhynets, acting director of the Donetsk Regional Educational and Methodological Center of the Psychological Service of the Education System, highlighted the issues of violence prevention in educational institutions, training of teaching staff and early detection of cases involving children.
Within the “miscellaneous” block, the head of the mobile brigade of the ICF NEEKA Ukraine, Larisa Fedortsiva, presented her proposals and practical experiences, who informed about the work of mobile teams and visits to communities, as well as the coordinator of the “Slavic Heart” charitable foundation, Anastasia Horbachova, who presented a new joint project with UN Women Ukraine, aimed at supporting and developing women, including internally displaced persons.
Following the results of the meeting, the participants agreed on further steps regarding the international campaign “16 Days Against Violence”, strengthening interaction between authorities, public organizations and international partners.
The importance of the widest possible dissemination of information materials of the campaign among residents of territorial communities, internally displaced persons and vulnerable groups was separately emphasized.