Girls Empowerment Academy: EU4Youth supporting growth and transformation

The ‘Girls Empowerment Academy 1.0,’ implemented by the Women’s League NGO with the support of the EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ project, sets out to strengthen the leadership, communication, and civic engagement skills of active teenage girls across Ukraine. By creating a safe, inclusive, and motivating learning environment, the Academy has become a space where young participants not only gain knowledge but also discover their voices, deepen their self-awareness, and turn ideas into real community impact.

The stories of Tetiana, Polina, Olha, and Valeriia clearly demonstrate how the Academy has empowered a new generation of young change-makers ready to take the lead in their communities.

Tetiana Kablova: ‘I became an older, more mature version of myself’

Tetiana completed the full learning journey of the Academy and successfully implemented her own youth-led initiative. Through the programme, she strengthened her teamwork skills, leadership, and time management.

One of her key achievements was the implementation on her own of the gamified event ‘Level Up: Architects of Change’, which engaged 13 teenagers from several communities in developing real solutions for their cities – from senior-friendly activities to community safety mapping. For Tetiana, presenting ideas under strict time limits and organising a full-scale event became proof of how much she had grown: she gained confidence, joined the Youth Parliament of Irpin, and now leads project management processes there.

Polina Labunets: ‘The Academy became a safe place where I could grow closer to my true self’

Polina was among the most dedicated participants of the Academy, consistently scoring high throughout the programme.

Her turning point happened during an Academy training in Lviv, where she rethought public speaking – no longer as a source of stress, but as a tool to influence and be heard.

Polina later organised her own interactive event for girls at her school based on the Academy methodology, sharing various concepts of responsible leadership. Her experience showed her that she could turn knowledge into practice – planning, coordinating, and motivating others through youth-led initiatives.

Olha Maslyhan: ‘This project opened the road to my future’

Olha sees every challenge as an opportunity – and the Academy helped her to deepen this mindset. She strengthened her stress resilience, communication, and inventiveness, and discovered the importance of trying again instead of giving up after the first attempt.

Her initiative, a workshop-discussion ‘Civic Activism: How to Fight for Change and Not Break Down’, gathered young people in Kyiv to reflect on motivation, activism, burnout prevention, and the role of individual action in shaping Ukraine’s future. Through teamwork and real case studies, participants explored how even one person’s effort can inspire others and launch community-level change.

For Olha, this experience was a reminder that active citizenship is daily work – and that her voice and actions matter.

Valeriia Kozova: ‘I realised I can do much more than I think’

Valeriia completed the Academy’s full programme and became one of the winners of the initiative competition. Her journey through the Academy gave her valuable skills, meaningful friendships, and the confidence to turn her ideas into real youth-driven action.

At her own initiative, Valeriia organised a networking event in Khmelnytskyi – ‘Speed Friending for those who Want Change’ – for young people interested in civic activism. The event, held at the Khmelnytskyi Youth Centre, aimed to inspire young people to engage in community change through an informal, creative environment for meeting, exchanging ideas, and building teams. Through this initiative, Valeriia successfully created a welcoming space that motivated young people to connect and explore their potential as future changemakers.

A space where girls become leaders

The Girls Empowerment Academy proved that when girls are given knowledge, support, and a safe space to explore their potential, they step into leadership naturally. Across cities and communities, the alumni of the Academy have already launched local initiatives, facilitated events, joined youth councils, and inspired their peers to take action. Their four stories show that empowerment is not a one-time intervention – it is a process of unlocking confidence, building skills, and learning to believe in one’s ability to shape the future.

The Women’s League NGO is a grant beneficiary of the EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment project, which is co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ.