Having to leave home. Not knowing whether loved ones are safe. Taking care of the children while one’s own future is uncertain. War and displacement take a toll on people far beyond the immediate danger. At the same time, familiar relationships and support networks are severed. Women and girls are also at risk of gender-based violence. Anyone who experiences violence needs a safe place and people who will listen and offer help. But such services are often hardest to reach where they are needed most: in communities near the front lines, where attacks are part of everyday life, and in regions hosting large numbers of displaced families, where local services are stretched. For people who already face exclusion, the path to help is even longer.

People who have experienced violence or been forced to flee often need more than just a single offer of help. Protection, emotional support, and economic opportunities are all interconnected. This project brings these areas together so that women can feel safer and regain greater control over their lives. The project also helps them become more economically independent, take on responsibility, and have a say in decisions within their communities.

At the same time, the partners are establishing a collaboration that is intended to continue beyond the current project period. They share expertise, support one another, and work together to tap into new funding opportunities. In this way, they aim to ensure the long-term sustainability of their programs and to work together to advocate for women’s rights—in their communities and in the reconstruction of Ukraine.