On 30 September 2025, Chernihiv Polytechnic National University hosted a blog café on the topic of ‘Gender Policy and Peaceful Conflict Resolution.’

The event was facilitated by Alla Nitchenko, ambassador of the ‘Together We Can’ project, head of the Centre for Gender Education, and associate professor of the Department of Law Enforcement and General Legal Disciplines at Chernihiv Polytechnic National University.

The event aimed to strengthen the role of young people in peacebuilding through the implementation of a gender-sensitive approach.

The event was attended by students, representatives of student self-government, civil society activists, and internally displaced persons currently residing in Chernihiv. The event brought together different social groups, which allowed them to look at the issue of peaceful conflict resolution through a gender lens.

In the first part, participants had the opportunity to talk to bloggers from the ‘Together We Can’ project. They shared their own experiences of participating in the initiative, told motivational stories, and emphasised the importance of such events for youth development and strengthening trust in communities.

The second part was structured around interactive exercises and group discussions. Participants discussed why gender policy is important, relevant, and fair; discussed international documents that have become a roadmap for Ukraine; analysed real-life examples of conflicts in communities and sought ways to resolve them peacefully; explored the consequences for different target groups, emphasising that women and girls are often the most vulnerable during war.

The event confirmed that a gender-sensitive approach to conflict resolution allows for better consideration of the needs of all population groups, reduces tension and promotes fair solutions.

Participants acquired practical skills in analysing conflicts through a gender lens, which they will be able to apply both in their future professional activities and in community work.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Foundation and is funded by the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (IFA) with funds from the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the Chernihiv region, the project is being implemented by the NGO ‘Centre for Gender Education’ in cooperation with the Chernihiv Polytechnic National University.