EU ambassador to Ukraine meets Ukrainian women leaders from various sectors

Today, Katarína Mathernová, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, hosted in Kyiv an informal breakfast bringing together 25 Ukrainian women leaders from across sectors for an open discussion on the country’s present and future.

The meeting brought together women veterans, civil society representatives, human rights defenders, artists, and public figures. The focus was on their lived experience — from frontline realities to the long-term challenges of recovery — and on how women sustain communities, take on leadership roles, and carry responsibility in times of war.

“Without women, Ukraine’s recovery will not work. Supporting their leadership is not a gesture – it is a necessity,” Katarína Mathernová added.

The discussion was moderated by Ruslana Danilkina, a veteran and public activist from the Superhumans rehabilitation centre.

The programme also highlighted EU support to the civic initiative ‘Do Not Be Indifferent!’, which has expanded its work since the full-scale invasion to provide psychological support to families of fallen, missing and captured defenders.

The European Union has mobilised more than €14 million since 2022 to support women and girls affected by the war, strengthen civil society, and increase women’s participation in decision-making, including efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence.

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Press release