Stand with Ukrainian Women: Newsletter 8

After a long and arduous journey, we welcomed a delegation of Ukrainian local and women politicians from eastern and southern Ukraine as part of our "Together for Democracy - #StandwithUkrainianWomen" project. They shared reports, perspectives, and experiences from the war.

The visitors came to advocate for support, highlight the urgency of their needs, and express gratitude for the solidarity shown so far. The week-long trip to Berlin and Dresden focused on exchanging information and experiences with political decision-makers and civil society organizations, initiating town twinning programs, and developing cultural exchange projects.

The participants were women in leadership positions within local politics and administration, including mayors, city and regional councilors, and activists in women's and civil society organizations. Three of the participants explained their perspectives, expectations, and experiences.

Support for the coming winter

The contributions of these women, and many others, on literally every front are a key reason for Ukraine's resilience. It was impressive and moving to hear how they organize daily life under the most difficult wartime conditions, provide for the large number of internally displaced persons, and deliver other forms of humanitarian and social aid, for example to particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those in need of care, or people with disabilities. They made an urgent plea for solidarity and support ahead of the coming winter and reiterated their need for political, financial, and military assistance. They are deeply concerned that the German public might grow "weary" of the war. For this reason, the EAF will launch another fundraising appeal at the beginning of December.

The delegation's trip was jointly planned and implemented by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and EAF Berlin. The program included a press briefing, a meeting with the Vice President and other members of the Berlin House of Representatives and the Head of the State Chancellery of Saxony; in addition, the district mayors of Steglitz-Zehlendorf and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf hosted a discussion on town twinning. There was also an intensive exchange with representatives of women's organizations such as the CDU Women's Union, the German Women's Council, the Equal Opportunities Officer of the Charité, and the Helene Weber Prize Winners Network.

Both the German and Ukrainian participants agreed that women must be equal partners in the reconstruction of Ukraine and have their interests represented. This should be a central concern of German foreign and development policy.

The following gallery captures the atmosphere of the serious and also lighthearted encounters, discussions, and activities with our strong project partners. (Photos: EAF Berlin, KAS)