On 2–3 March 2026, the regional forum “Women’s Resilience and Agency in the Northern Regions of Ukraine” (She Leads Ukraine) took place in Kyiv, bringing together women leaders, representatives of civil society, government bodies, the education sector and international organisations to discuss the role of women in community recovery and development.

The aim of the forum was to strengthen women’s participation in decision-making processes, develop their political leadership, support inter-regional cooperation and foster new initiatives for the recovery of communities in the northern regions of Ukraine.

Representatives of Chernihiv Polytechnic National University took part in the event:

• · MELNYK Olha – Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and Social Development, Head of the non-governmental organisation “Centre for Gender Education”;
• · PRYBYTKO Iryna – Director of the Educational-Scientific Institute of Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction, Associate Professor of the Department of Welding and Construction Technologies;
• · NITCHENKO Alla – Head of the Centre for Gender Education, Associate Professor at the Department of Law Enforcement and General Legal Disciplines;
• · MAKSOM Kateryna – Head of the Department of Social Work;
• · KOLOHOIDA Antonina – Associate Professor at the Department of Automotive Transport and Industrial Engineering.

The forum programme included panel discussions, interactive sessions and strategic discussions on the role of women in the recovery of de-occupied communities, issues of security and territorial development, support for women’s entrepreneurship, and the formation of a network of women leaders in the northern regions of Ukraine. The participants also took part in the strategic session ‘Map of Political Leadership in the North’, during which directions for further cooperation and the development of women’s leadership were discussed.

The participation of university representatives in such events contributes to the development of cross-sectoral cooperation, the implementation of gender equality principles in the educational environment, and the strengthening of the university’s role as an active participant in the processes of social development and community recovery in Ukraine.