On June 5, 2026, the Ukrainian Feminist Network participated in the V Feminist Forum, which focused on the theme “Feminist Movement of Ukraine and the Global Struggle for Equality”. The forum served as a critical space to reflect on how the Ukrainian experience contributes to the international women’s movement.
The conference highlighted that Ukrainian feminists have the potential to lead global solutions amid a multicrisis. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, Ukraine has the immense potential to spearhead worldwide feminist discussions on conflict and decolonization.
However, the international community still lacks visibility into how Ukrainian movements are structurally built. The Ukrainian feminist movement often operates under the radar globally, meaning the international community does not see the extensive groundwork that has been laid or the profound results Ukrainian women have already managed to achieve. Global movements are actively searching for solutions and relevance in a new world—one where drones are already flying in the EU. Ukrainian feminists can provide this critical perspective precisely because we hold the lived experience of surviving and organizing in a 21st-century war.
During the discussions, it was powerfully argued that democracy during wartime is not a secondary issue, nor is it a sidebar conversation. As violence against women predictably rises during conflicts, human rights and democracy cannot be viewed as something separate from militarization. The harsh reality is that international humanitarian law is currently failing to protect those it was designed to serve. It is a systemic failure recognized by Ukrainian women’s organizations before anyone else due to our own experiences with a crumbling world architecture.
Nevertheless, for the new generation, feminism is the norm and the baseline. Does this mean we can achieve a perfectly equal society in our lifetime? No, because achieving gender equality is a continuous process that inevitably faces pushback, just as we are witnessing now. During such a polarized time, we must actively choose a strategy of visibility. Our experience shows that mainstreaming with purely gender-neutral language is not working. Gender-visible language actively shapes service design and is far from merely symbolic.
When discussing the future, the global approach to funding must shift. It is not simply about having more or less money; it is about ensuring the sustainability of the movement beyond temporary humanitarian aid. Women leaders in humanitarian action must pass their hard-earned expertise to other countries, as Ukraine possesses a powerful feminist movement that directly shapes the trajectory of our nation. True, lasting solutions must be community-driven, operating from the bottom up.
At the Ukrainian Feminist Network, we are deeply committed to continuing our advocacy and communications on the global level. Together, we will ensure that the voice of the Ukrainian feminist movement remains undeniable and influential on the global stage.