Journalist Filiz Pehlivan wrote her observations about the online event organized by activist women fighting for peace in Ukraine. Focusing on the state of women in the country, she conveys the call of Ukrainian women to women’s organizations around the world: “If the world gives up on Ukraine, the consequences will be terrible!”
Journalist Filiz Pehlivan wrote her observations about the online event organized by activist women fighting for peace in Ukraine. In her article focusing on the state of women in the country, she conveys the call of Ukrainian women to women’s organizations around the world: “If the world gives up on Ukraine, the consequences will be terrible!”
The highlights of Pehlivan’s article are as follows:
I participated in an online event where I had the opportunity to hear the voices of women leaders working at various levels, and especially activist women who are fighting in the eastern region, where the pressure of Russia is felt.
Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the USA, and representatives of various non-governmental organizations called on all peace-loving communities to put pressure on Russia and support them, and wanted their voices to be heard. Ukrainian women believe that the threat posed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin with approximately 130,000 Russian troops on three sides of Ukraine targets Ukraine’s commitment to democracy and its desire to integrate into Europe.
Participants drew attention to the fact that although the eyes of the world have turned to Ukraine these days, they have been paying the price since 2014: They have been fighting against this aggression that has been going on for 8 years, more than 13 thousand lives have been lost and about 2 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced. They complain that they are constantly exposed to campaigns of attrition and disinformation and cyberattacks to destabilize and demoralize the Ukrainian people.
But Ukraine has a strong civil society. Non-governmental organizations also play an important role in the reform processes aimed at democratic integration with the West. Women’s organizations are at the forefront of the civil society struggle, their leaders strive for peace. Ukraine has a national action plan that focuses on the role of women in peace and security. It recognizes the different impact of conflict on women and men, and policies are developed to address this.
According to the representatives of the Ukrainian women’s organization, the solution is to establish alliances to take back the occupied territories by Russia, to establish peace throughout the country and to stand up to the threats of Russia. “The struggle for independence is not only about Ukraine,” one participant says, this is a test for every people to feel safe within the borders of the country.
The testimony of Ukrainian women
Hanna Saitarli from the Luhansk region started working as a human rights activist about 8 years ago after her family had to leave their home due to the Russian occupation. “We are doing everything we can to make life safe and resilient to external threats,” she says.
“We spoke different languages, sang different songs, lived together as Roma, Greek, Ukrainian and Russian women,” says Lilia Kislitsina from Kramatorsk in the war-bordered Donetsk region. “No one persecuted us because of our language, culture, or traditions. The events that started in Donetsk in 2014 are a project that Russia brought here, saying that there is a civil war in Donetsk, we will bring peace. We want to live. Today, the women of the Donetsk region are in a difficult situation.”
Yarina Chahovets from the Kharkiv region says that after Russia decided in 2014 that it was necessary to save Russian-speaking people when there was no problem, many women joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend their homeland, and some of them volunteered.
Call for support to women’s organizations
The point that all the participants agreed upon was that international pressure on Russia should continue. They see that if Russia occupies other lands, as seen in the invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014, the only way for women is to flee. Therefore, they call for solidarity and support of women’s organizations in all countries with women’s organizations in Ukraine. If the world gives up on Ukraine, they think, the consequences will be dire.