We barely have time to celebrate our wins … or to process what we’ve lost

The Ukrainian House report, issued in cooperation with the Open Space Works Ukraine and the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Warsaw analyzes humanitarian organizations run by women in Ukraine and Poland, additionally comparing their methodologies of operation and priorities of approach. All this with the aim of finding opportunities to improve and facilitate their functioning.

After the start of war in 2022 organizations led by Ukrainian women in both Ukraine and Poland have taken on crucial new roles in the provision of humanitarian support. In Ukraine, women stepped into lead roles in humanitarian response as men were mobilized to the army. In Poland, women constitute the majority of leaders of diaspora organizations providing support to a refugee wave, which itself was predominantly composed of women.

What are the main challenges for these organizations? How does gender affect the type of challenges these organizations face? What types of conflicts occur when running a humanitarian organization in such challenging circumstances? What was the experience of entering humanitarian operations like with the onset of war? The report answers these questions, while pointing out recommendations for changes that would improve the situation for these organizations.