On October 31, 2024, an international webinar “Women Shaping Peace: A Call for Action to Amplify Meaningful Participation in Crisis and Politically Complex Settings”, organized by UNDP. The event was aimed at facilitating a dialogue between influential women leaders from Yemen, Iraq, Papua New Guinea and Ukraine who are working to support peace, prevent conflicts and promote stability.

Ukraine was represented by Olha Melnyk, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and Social Development of Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, Head of the NGO “Center for Gender Education”.

During the meeting, the participants discussed how to catalyze the transformational shift necessary to ensure women’s substantial participation in the entire spectrum of peace and security.

In particular, Olha Melnyk emphasized the role of women in restoring social cohesion in times of war: “Together, by combining efforts at all levels – from personal to state – we can build a strong, cohesive and sustainable society that will not only overcome the challenges of war, but also ensure development and prosperity for future generations. And women – Ukrainian women – play a crucial role in this process today”.

Using the example of the activities of the NGO “Center for Gender Education”, the NGO Chernihiv European, the participant of the event emphasized the contribution of women-led NGOs to the process of rebuilding the Chernihiv Polytechnic National University. She also focused on the project activities of “Center for Gender Education”, which are the basis of social cohesion in communities.

The speaker paid special attention to the implementation of the project “Women – Agents of Social Cohesion and Recovery in Communities”, supported by UNDP and financial assistance from the Government of France, which helps young women to engage in these processes through training and initiatives aimed at developing communication skills, conflict resolution, and combating gender-based violence. According to Olha Melnyk, the project also includes training in a gender-based approach to community recovery so that women can influence plans and implement their initiatives at the local level: “These projects help women contribute to change by influencing local policies and decision-making processes. Thanks to such initiatives, we don’t just talk about women’s rights, we give them tools for action,” summarized Olga Melnyk.

Olha Melnyk expressed her gratitude to the organizers for the opportunity to join an important international dialogue and exchange experience with women leaders working on peacebuilding initiatives around the world. She emphasized that such events unite efforts to achieve common goals and create a platform for strengthening women’s voices in peace, security and development.