The President of Voice of Romni, Anzhelika Bielova, continued her work in Geneva during the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week. Another important event was a session organized by Oxfam together with ActionAid and UN Women titled “When lifesaving is not neutral: protecting feminist leadership in the era of humanitarian reset.”

During her speech, Anzhelika highlighted the challenges currently faced by women’s rights organizations in Ukraine, as well as the urgent need for more flexible and accessible funding models for local organizations.

She also spoke about the work of Voice of Romni, particularly the organization’s support for Roma women during the full-scale war, whose vulnerability has only increased. Roma people continue to face discrimination in many areas of life, including access to education, employment, fair wages, and legal services.

“Our organization does not focus exclusively on humanitarian assistance. We see it as an important starting point for supporting the most vulnerable groups, which then evolves into economic empowerment, education, psychosocial support, and leadership development. This comprehensive approach not only helps people regain stability and solid ground under their feet, but also saves lives and helps women become agents of change in their communities,” said the President of the organization.

In our practice, there are many success stories of women who initially received humanitarian assistance and later became active participants in our programs: they completed training and courses, received grants, and are now developing their own businesses. They no longer need external financial support, as they have become economically independent and resilient.

One example is a Roma woman from Zaporizhzhia who initially received humanitarian assistance, later joined a youth space, and became part of a women’s initiative group in Zaporizhzhia. Over time, she joined our team as a gender-based violence case manager and now supports survivors. For a long time, the issue of gender-based violence remained taboo within our community. However, we began working to change this, and today we are already seeing results.

“The reduction of funding for gender-based violence prevention programs and the new policy of erasing terms such as gender, gender equality, and underrepresented groups raises serious concerns. If we stop naming these issues, we silence them. We pretend the problem does not exist. I say this as the head of a Roma women’s organization, as a leader, and as a woman who survived an attempted femicide seven years ago. Doctors saved my life, and since then I have dedicated my efforts to making this world safer for other women, because this is also about saving lives,” Anzhelika shared her personal story.

We consistently call for continued efforts to combat gender-based violence, defend women’s rights, and support the work of women’s organizations. By investing in local initiatives, we contribute to the sustainable development of communities. Women who gain opportunities for self-realization become leaders and advocates, further strengthening the advancement of equal rights and opportunities in society.