The 5th Feminist Forum "Feminist Movement of Ukraine and Global Struggle for Equality" became a discussion platform for everyone for whom equal rights and opportunities are not just words. More than 130 participants from different regions gathered to demonstrate their solidarity in their actions with the movement and powerfully declare the voices of Ukrainian women.
Human rights defenders, diplomats, representatives and representatives of international organizations, the public sector and the women's movement discussed women's rights, international solidarity, European integration and the restoration of Ukraine. Anna Nikolenko-Baieva, head of the NGO "Association for Democratic Development" and her deputy Iryna Kulyk also joined the discussions of the forum.
In conditions where the attack on women's rights and gender justice is intensifying all over the world, the feminist movement of Ukraine is part of the global struggle for equality. At the same time, Ukrainian women's organizations are immersed in responding to the challenges of a full-scale war, supporting recovery and European integration reforms.
This leaves fewer opportunities for participation in broader regional, thematic, and global feminist discourses.
During this year's event, the participants discussed how the global attack on women's rights shapes the international feminist agenda, what it means for the Ukrainian women's movement, in particular for its visibility, opportunities to find support and access to resources. After all, the struggle for women's rights has no borders, and solidarity between women's movements is needed today more than ever. The priorities of Ukrainian diplomacy for women's rights were also considered.
According to the results of the workshop, the Declaration of the Feminist Movement of Ukraine on the International Arena was developed. The UZHF will present this Declaration at the Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine (URC-2026) on June 25 in Gdańsk (Poland) in order to more powerfully declare Ukraine, its needs and readiness to share experience.
Throughout the Forum, a common opinion sounded: the Ukrainian feminist movement today is not only part of the global struggle for equality, but also an important voice in discussions about democracy, security, human rights and the future recovery of Ukraine.
The forum was held as part of the project "Women's Voice and Leadership: A New Force", which is being implemented by the UZHF with the support of the Government of Canada.
