Ukrainian activist Yulia Sporysh wins prestigious German women’s rights award

Ukrainian women's rights activist, feminist, and sociology PhD Yulia Sporysh has won the German Anne Klein Prize for 2024, the Boell center says.

A sociologist by training, Yulia Sporysh founded the non-governmental organisation "Girls" in Kyiv in 2019, initially with the aims of promoting sexual education and the prevention of gender-based violence.

After the beginning of the all-out aggression, the tasks have increased, and the feminist is brilliantly coping with this challenge.

Yulia Sporysh was recognized for her fight for women's rights.

Last year alone, 150,000 people in 120 localities across the country received help from the organization. The team is 99% female, and its number has grown tenfold during the war.

"The jury of the Anne Klein Women's Prize was particularly impressed by the fact that even in wartime, Yulia Sporysh and all the members of the Girls NGO continue to fight for gender equality, the presence and leadership of women in society, and to overcome stereotypes in this area," the website says.

The jury also noted Yulia's "strong belief in a better future for the feminist movement in Ukraine and her commitment to a gender-sensitive approach to the country's future reconstruction."

At all her events, the activist emphasizes the importance of involving women in the restoration of the state.

"This award is a great honor and pride for me, because it once again confirms that what we, the Girls' NGO, do every day to support Ukrainian girls and women is important and visible. The fact that a Ukrainian woman received the award out of all the countries of the world is another chance to draw attention to our war and attract additional resources to overcome its consequences," the winner wrote on social media.

The Anne Klein Prize is an annual German women's award that has been established since 2012. It is awarded to women from all over the world who fight for gender equality. Anna Klein is the first female senator in Berlin, known as a feminist and fighter for the rights of women and the LGBT community.