On 27–28 August, a meeting of the Women in Governance Network of political leaders who are women in local self-government took place in Pirnove, Kyiv Oblast. Participants worked on advocacy for women’s rights.
Lena Lindgren, former Head of Political Leadership at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), delivered welcoming remarks to the Network. She expressed her support for Ukrainian political leaders who are women, working every day in the context of war and carrying particular responsibility for their hromadas, and stressed: "Ukraine and the world need more political leaders who are women. Gender-balanced political power is essential for a strong democracy - one that reflects different experiences, priorities and perspectives, and creates better conditions for people to live good lives."
At this meeting, participants shared their experience and discussed how to turn challenges related to the protection of women’s rights into concrete advocacy solutions: clearly define the problem, formulate the goal, analyse the environment and stakeholders, and plan a sequence of actions.
“It is important not only to see the problem, but also to understand how to move consistently towards solving it. Meetings like this help us define the changes we want to achieve, identify who can influence decisions and who should be involved in advocacy. For associations, this is also an opportunity to identify challenges shared by hromadas and strengthen their voice,” said Nataliia Petrenko, Head of the Shulhyne Rural Military Administration and a member of the Women in Governance Network representing the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities.
The practical session was facilitated by Oksana Yarosh, Doctor of Political Science and gender expert. She highlighted the experience of Network members, who make decisions every day in the context of war and crisis management. As a result, even emotionally difficult issues chosen for joint discussion are part of their everyday work.
“The value of this Network lies in having a space where women with their own experience of leadership and responsibility for decision-making within their associations can speak openly. The meeting format allows us to discuss challenges candidly, share practical experience and support one another. This is particularly important for strengthening the role of political leaders who are women in governance,” said Yana Litvinova, Head of the Starobilsk City Military Administration and representative of the All-Ukrainian Association of Hromadas.
At each Network meeting, participants follow principles of trust and confidentiality: they support one another, ensure everyone can speak, treat each other as partners rather than political opponents, and keep discussions confidential. This allows for open conversations not only about successes, but also about mistakes, crises and difficult decisions.
One of the practical outcomes of the two-day meeting was a set of advocacy campaign plans developed by the participants. These plans will remain part of the Network’s ongoing work: participants will return to them, share results and identify effective policy solutions.
Women in Governance Network was established in 2025 as a joint initiative of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, the All-Ukrainian Association of Hromadas and the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils, with support from the Polaris Programme. It brings together women who lead hromadas, representatives of local self-government bodies and national associations.
