From Khrystyna Alchevska to European Integration: Young Ukrainian Women Master Tools for Influencing Public Decision-Making

As part of the project “Leadership School for Young Women in European Integration”, the final online training session, “Civil Society Engagement with Public Institutions in the EU,” was held. The event brought together young women leaders who are implementing their own initiatives and contributing to community development amid today’s challenges.

Women’s leadership in Ukraine has deep historical roots. One source of inspiration for the participants was the prominent educator Khrystyna Alchevska, who opened a free Sunday school for women in Kharkiv in 1862, providing education to nearly 17,000 working women. Today, young women continue this tradition by establishing volunteer centres and educational hubs and implementing European integration initiatives.

The final training session was conducted by German expert Yulia Vorozhtsova. During the session, participants explored practical mechanisms for transforming civic initiatives into systemic solutions, as well as approaches to building effective dialogue with public authorities using European experience and tools.

“There is a clear continuity between the work of women educators of the past and today’s young women who seek to change their country. Both generations do not wait for change to come from outside — they take responsibility and act, creating the foundations for long-term transformation in society,” emphasized Olena Tanasiichuk, President of the “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation.

The “Leadership School for Young Women in European Integration” project is implemented by the “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation in partnership with the German organisation KWB Koordinierungsstelle Weiterbildung und Beschäftigung e.V., with financial support from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (Auswärtiges Amt).