Solutions to win: VETERANKA launches new initiative to empower military women

On its 6th anniversary, the VETERANKA movement launched the "6 years: The power of sisterhood" campaign, highlighting the crucial role of female soldiers in the Russian-Ukrainian war and their fight for equality in the military.

The press service of the movement reported that.

What is the problem?

As Kateryna Pryimak, the head of the VETERANKA movement, emphasizes, their actions strongly represent sisterhood, as their primary focus is promoting and supporting women within the military.

"We started by fighting for the right of women to serve in combat positions in the army, and we achieved this: in 2018, 63 positions were opened for women in the security and defense sector of Ukraine.

We were the first to start working and continue to work on decent material and technical support for servicewomen. Among our latest projects is implementing a mechanism to combat sexual harassment in the army, a chatbot for joining the Defense Forces," the head of the VETERANKA movement, Kateryna Pryimak, comments.

What is the solution?

For its sixth anniversary since its foundation, the VETERANKA movement initiated the campaign "6 years: The power of sisterhood."

The campaign's purpose is to honor the contributions of women who actively participate in the country's defense and to support the development of women in military service opportunities.

The female protagonists of social advertising are now active participants of the VETERANKA initiative, currently serving on the tense frontlines of Ukraine.

• weapons operator, movement leader Andriana Arekhta,
• combat medic Yuliia Sidorova,
• Oksana Rubaniak, platoon commander of Ukraine's armed forces.

How does it work?

The organization has officially initiated a campaign to raise six million hryvnias to provide support for six battle sisters and their units fighting in high-risk areas on the front lines. The funds raised will be allocated for the procurement of:

• electronic warfare equipment and systems,
• ground stations,
• drones,
• and other necessary equipment to enhance the effectiveness and safety of their operations.

Some well-known Ukrainian women are among the gathering's ambassadors, including:

• actress, People's Artist of Ukraine Ada Rohovtseva,
• writer Oksana Zabuzhko,
• actresses Irma Vitovska, Daria Plakhtiy, Olena Lavreniuk,
• synchronized swimmers, Olympic champions Maryna Aleksiyiva and Vlada Aleksiyiva,
• singers Alyona Alyona, Vera Kekelia, SWOIIA,
• comedian Anastasiia Zukhvala,
• editor-in-chief of Ukrainian Pravda Sevgil Musaeva,
• TV presenters Alla Mazur, Yana Brenzei, Tatiana Vysotska,
• Kateryna Solar, Yuliia Zorii.

To join the collection, one can either click on the link to monobank or send a message to the organization's social media page.

The collection was dedicated to the courageous women on the front lines, including:

• Andriana "Malysh" Arekhta, the leader of the movement of stormtroopers

• Oksana "Ksena" Rubaniak, a platoon commander in the Ukrainian armed forces

• Yuliia Mykytenko, a platoon commander for UAVs

• Viktoriia "Runa," the chief sergeant-commander of an anti-aircraft artillery unit

• Iryna "Nezlamna", an air reconnaissance scout

• Valiko, an aerial scout and FPV instructor.

For reference:

The VETERANKA movement, founded by female veterans in 2018, is now the first and only community for Ukrainian women with military backgrounds. In its six years of existence, the organization has expanded to include over 1,700 members of women with combat experience, growing from its initial 20 members.

These individuals are veterans and currently serving members of Ukraine, along with proactive volunteers and public activists who support each other. The organization focuses on various initiatives such as advocating for the rights of female military personnel, rehabilitating and integrating female veterans, providing skilled aid to the armed forces, and promoting positive societal changes.