Combating gender-based violence remains one of the key priorities of Voice of Romni.

For our organization, it is important not only to support those who may experience violence but also to work preventively,  through educational activities for both men and women. Many of these initiatives are also held in our children’s and youth spaces.

Recently, in Kryvyi Rih, we organized a lecture for Roma men dedicated to this topic. It was conducted by an experienced trainer, Volodymyr Kukin.

Many people still fail to recognize manifestations of gender-based violence in everyday life. It is often perceived as something ordinary, something that poses no real threat. That is why it was so important for us to hold this training, to explain that gender-based violence can take many forms, and its consequences are devastating.

Through open dialogue and practical examples, we aimed to help participants better identify signs of violence and understand how everyone can play a role in preventing it. During practical exercises, they could see how destructive violent behavior can be toward loved ones.

We truly value that during the lecture, men actively engaged with the trainer and later said they found it interesting and would gladly attend more sessions to understand all aspects of the issue.

Similar events were held in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia with the support of our partners from CARE. We believe that as more people become aware of their responsibility and power to stand against violence, our communities will become safer.