Voices of Courage in Ukraine

Published on

The war continues to take a devastating toll on civilians in Ukraine. Now, a new collection of film and stories highlights the voices and experiences of women leading change across Ukraine.

Created through film photography and personal conversations, it brings together the voices of women who continue to support their communities amid war, displacement, and uncertainty. Wearing vyshyvankas, a traditional embroidered clothing, the women had their portrait taken in Lviv, Ukraine, during a Women’s Humanitarian Leadership Fund (WHLF) workshop.

All photos were shot using a 1980s film camera from Kyiv, where the second-hand film camera industry is thriving despite the war.

Rhea Catada/Oxfam

“

Just as the Sixtiers (a generation of Ukrainian intellectuals, artists, active in the 60s) defended the right to Ukrainian culture under Soviet rule, today’s women activists defend the right of communities to preserve their identity in the context of war and forced displacement”

Yuliia Khatsanovska, WHLF partner organisation Gender Bureau

Rhea Catada/Oxfam

“

One of the most valuable aspects of the programme was the opportunity to work closely with another organization. It was our first experience of such a strong partnership, and it showed us how much more can be achieved when resources, knowledge, and experience are brought together. The collaboration opened new opportunities for growth, strengthened trust between organizations, and reinforced the importance of working collectively to support our communities.”

Liliya Hryniuk, Positive Women - Oxfam’s partner.

Rhea Catada/Oxfam

Daria Panchuk
“

As a lesbian woman in Ukraine, I live with the reality that LGBTQI+ people still do not have equal rights. Before the full-scale invasion, those rights did not exist, and they still do not exist today. I cannot visit my partner in hospital as family. We cannot have a joint bank account. We cannot share legal custody of children. In the eyes of the law, we remain strangers to one another. If something happened to either of us because of the war, decisions about our lives would be made by relatives who may not accept us, rather than by the person we have chosen to build a life with. I often ask myself: how is that fair?”

Daria Panchuk, Gender Stream - ActionAid partner

The Women’s Humanitarian Leadership Fund (WHLF) is a joint initiative of Oxfam and ActionAid that supports women-led and women’s rights organisations (WROs) in Ukraine through flexible, trust-based funding. Created to advance locally led and feminist humanitarian action, WHLF shifts decision-making power and resources to local women leaders who are best placed to respond to the needs of their communities. WHLF provides flexible funding that allows organisations to respond to changing needs, strengthen their institutions, support staff wellbeing, and invest in long-term sustainability.

Shutterstock

A sign with a Ukraine flag and Peace written on it held up in a crowd

Oxfam and ActionAid work to strengthen the leadership, protection services, and crisis-response capacities of women-led organisations across Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Together, the partners aim to demonstrate a more equitable humanitarian model based on trust, collaboration, and meaningful power-sharing.

Press contact

For comments, interviews, or information please contact the Oxfam GB Media Team:

Your next read

75 year old Nadiya wears a purple scarf on her head and a navy puffer jacket and sorts though fire scorched pots and pans outside her home.
Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis

The war continues to take a devastating toll on civilians. Together with partners, Oxfam has reached 2.5 million people in the past four years through our Ukraine Humanitarian Response.

Oxfam's response
Volunteers search for survivors in a collapsed building following the twin earthquakes in La Guaira state, Venezuela.
Donate to the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal

Two powerful earthquakes have struck Venezuela, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Donate to the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal to help provide vital support.

Donate now