Exiled Ukrainian women prepare for life after war, with or without returning home

Since the full-scale Russian invasion on February 2022, Ukrainian organisations abroad have taken on an increasingly important role in supporting their country. With women and children making up the majority of recent exiles, women’s groups have a particular part to play in winning support for Ukraine – as well as ensuring its cultural identity survives.

More than 100 Ukrainian women living in 23 countries gathered in Portugal at the end of September for a conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as on preserving identity and combating disinformation.

The Ukrainian Women of the World in Action conference, from 25 to 27 September, saw women descend on Lisbon from around the world, from Belgium to the United States.

Brought together by the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organisations (WFUWO), the groups to which they belong existed long before the war. The WFUWO was created in 1948, and the National Union of Ukrainian Women in the US was founded more than 100 years ago.

But the Russian invasion has seen these organisations come into their own, as the diaspora of Ukrainians – now including those exiled by the war – has grown to an estimated 25 million. Women and children make up the majority of those who have left the country since 2022.

This new diaspora is also notably well‑qualified. According to the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD), 76 percent of women who have fled Ukraine hold a higher‑education qualification. Many had careers and held skilled jobs in their country.

Now, after several years spent abroad, they have gained further skills and experience: they speak at least one foreign language, are familiar with the way their host country operates and have built their own networks there – all of which represent significant human capital for the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Mariana Yevsyukova, representative of the WFUWO to the United Nations, emphasises that “these people have knowledge, skills and experience. They speak the language and understand the culture of the countries in which they live. And it is this invaluable experience that we need today to improve our country and move it forward.”

In practical terms, this expertise can be mobilised in several ways: raising awareness of Ukraine’s situation and culture, forging contacts with local businesses or institutions, supporting projects and sharing professional insights gained elsewhere.

Ukrainian women’s organisations abroad are already running Ukrainian schools, language classes and the transmission of culture and traditions. The goal is not to hinder integration into host societies but to enable those children to connect with Ukraine while becoming active participants in its future – no matter where they reside.

This article has been adapted from the original version in French by Kseniya Zhornokley, RFI’s special envoy in Lisbon.

Source link