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Representatives of Ukrainian NGOs at the ‘Beijing+30’ Forum: The Impact of War on Women’s Rights

Ukrainian activists, along with representatives from 56 other countries, participated in the ‘Beijing+30’ Civil Society Forum. This event served as an important platform to discuss progress in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action—an international document that Ukraine signed in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

The Beijing Platform for Action covers 12 key areas, including conflict, violence, healthcare, poverty, education, professional training, and the rights of women and girls. Representatives of Ukrainian NGOs advocated in advance for including the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on women’s rights and regional security. They emphasized that politically neutral terminology, such as “conflict” and “geopolitical tension in the region,” used in concluding documents, does not reflect the reality of events and hinders the analysis of women’s rights violations and the condemnation of the aggressor country’s actions.

The Ukrainian delegation was supported and represented by:

Maryna Rudenko – civil activist;
Uliana Surmai – head of the NGO “Military Families Support Office,” Lviv 1325 Network;
Tetiana Moroz – communications coordinator for the NGO “Ukrainian Women’s Guard,” Kyiv 1325 Network;
Yulia Hudyma – volunteer for the NGO “Military Families Support Office”;
Ella Lamakh – head of the NGO “Center for Democracy Development,” deputy chair of the National Women’s Council;
Larysa Kobelyanska – head of the public council of the Equal Opportunities Inter-Factional Union;
Milana Mardanenko – volunteer at the Center for Democratic Development;
Nina Chala – Women’s Professional League;
Maria Tuzyk – representative of the “Smile UA” Charity Fund and “Navkolo” Charity Fund;
Oleksandra Harmash – Ukrainian representative on the steering committee of the NGO Forum.

During the Forum, held in a workshop format addressing each of the 12 key issues, Ukrainian delegates highlighted examples of the war’s impact on women’s rights in Ukraine and used language relevant to current realities. Here are some key points:

The war should be called a war, not an “armed conflict.” A conflict implies a dispute initiated by both sides, whereas war is the result of an aggressor’s attack.
Ukrainians seek peace more than anyone, which is why they continue to fight. For Ukraine, peace means protecting its people and future.
Ukraine fights not only for its land but also for values upheld in the Beijing Declaration—freedom, equality, and development. Supporting Ukraine means supporting these values.
Ukrainian women need international support in the form of social projects and programs. Many women are fighting, volunteering, and performing dual roles, caring for families while their husbands are on the front lines.
The war in Ukraine harms not only Ukrainians but also the environment. Supporting Ukraine helps prevent an ecological catastrophe akin to Chernobyl.Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to view an exhibit of Ukrainian women’s wartime stories. The sketches and illustrations were drawn from the short prose collection My Women by writer Yuliya Iliukha. Each image and text represents a moment of encountering the war, living through it, and reflecting on it. More than 10 Ukrainian artists worked to visually portray the intense emotions of pain, despair, loss, awareness, and ultimately hope.

“My women speak in ordinary and terrifying ways. My women share pain and despair. My women believe and wait. My women hold on, even though they are barely making it. My women know the cost of each day. My women want to be listened to and heard by the whole world. My women, despite everything, try to go on living.
My women…
Now they are yours, too.”

writes Yuliya Iliukha in the foreword to her book.

The ‘Beijing+30’ Forum emphasized that the women of Ukraine play a critical role in defending their country, human rights, and international values and need global support to overcome the impacts of war.

The Forum reaffirmed the importance of integrating women’s rights into all areas of public life, especially in the context of war. Ukrainian delegates demonstrated on the global stage that the fight for gender equality and women’s rights cannot be separated from global challenges, including war and security. Supporting Ukraine is a commitment to the international values of freedom, equality, and human rights. Ongoing international assistance and funding for projects for Ukrainian women are strategically crucial not only for the country’s recovery but also for protecting global stability.

The participation of representatives of Ukrainian NGOs in the Forum was supported by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund and UN Women Ukraine.

Ukrainian Women’s Guard

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