Event: “Women's Leadership in the Digital Era: Advancing Access to Justice in Online Political Spaces” in New York

The event was jointly organized by UNDP Regional Electoral Support – Arab States Sida – Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete , Ukraine, and the United Nations Development Programme – UNDP , with the ICF “Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health” serving as a co-organizer.

The Ukrainian experience was presented by

Halyna Skipalska— Country Director of the HealthRight International in Ukraine and Executive Director for the ICF 'Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health'.

In her speech, she emphasized that for Ukraine today, women’s leadership is not a theory but the daily reality of war. Even near the front lines, women are supporting communities, assisting victims of violence, documenting human rights violations, and working to restore justice.

At the same time, more and more leadership is taking place in the digital space — where women often face online attacks, disinformation, and attempts to push them out of public life.

During the discussion, Ukraine also shared practical solutions. In particular, the discussion focused on the Safewomenhubonline platform, which helps women access psychological, social, and legal support, as well as the “Zv’YazOK” app, created to support professionals working with survivors of violence and trauma.

Leaders and experts from various countries and institutions joined the discussion, including representatives from Sweden, Ukraine, Jordan, Morocco, Mexico, UNDP, and the UN. Speakers included Norma Irene de la Cruz Magaña, Ruba Matarneh, Hiba Issa Odeh Haddadeen, Najwa Koukouss, Raquel Lagunas, and Michèle Griffin, with Najia Hashemee moderating the event.

Participants discussed the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat digital violence and create safer online spaces for women’s participation in political and public life.