Feminist Leadership in Times of Crisis: From Dialogue to Cohesion

About the project

The full-scale war has intensified barriers that limit women's participation in public life and decision-making processes. Women of all ages and social statuses often lack sufficient information about available mechanisms of influence, face gender stereotypes, unequal access to employment, social services, and representation in local government. Internally displaced women and women with disabilities remain particularly vulnerable.

The project aims to strengthen women's participation in the development of Zakarpattia communities. Within its framework, CAHR "Vested" implemented the communication campaign "Experience and New Voices: Women's History Unites Communities". Participants will receive a safe space for open discussion of their own experiences, needs, and obstacles to public participation. During dialogue meetings, they learned about practical tools for influencing local decisions: electronic petitions, open budgets, procurement monitoring, appeals to authorities, IDP councils, working groups, and public initiatives.

The project will also make more visible the stories of women who take responsibility for changes in their communities. The combination of practical knowledge, mutual support, public dialogue, and positive examples of women's leadership helped participants better understand their own rights, opportunities, and ability to influence community development.

Target Audience

The primary target audience of the project is women: local residents and internally displaced women, activists, representatives of public organizations, informal leaders, and women with varying levels of experience in public participation.

The indirect target audience includes representatives of local self-government bodies and executive authorities, public organizations, media, and other participants in local policy-making processes.

Partners

Coalition "1325-Zakarpattia"

Expected Results

Women involved in the project will better understand their rights and available mechanisms for public participation. They will have more knowledge and confidence to use electronic petitions, open data, official appeals, IDP councils, working groups, and other tools to influence local decisions.

Participants will better realize their own capacity to be heard and influence community development. Problems that might have previously been perceived as personal and unsolvable will be viewed as common issues that can be influenced through collective action, public participation, and dialogue with responsible institutions.

Links of mutual support will be strengthened among local residents, internally displaced women, activists, and representatives of public organizations. This will create prerequisites for jointly identifying needs, formulating coordinated proposals, and collectively representing women's interests before authorities.

Dialogue between women and representatives of local government will become more substantive. The needs of women, including IDPs and women with disabilities, will be more visible to decision-makers. This will create prerequisites for incorporating gender and inclusive approaches into local policies, programs, and services.

Public presentation of diverse stories of women's leadership will contribute to weakening stereotypes about the role of women in public and political life. In the long term, this should support more sustainable participation of women in local government, strengthen their influence on community development, and foster a more cohesive society.