THE “BE YOUR OWN GOAL” CONFERENCE-HACKATHON IS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE PROJECTOR FOUNDATION WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) “STRENGTHENING PUBLIC TRUST (UCBI)”. THE EVENT PARTNERS INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE SPACE MACPAW SPACE. THE PROJECT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED TO MARK THE 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UKRAINIAN WOMEN’S MOVEMENT.
In the summer of 2024, Ukraine launched the Lost project, which showed how, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, women from different regions of the country were able to take control of their own lives, realize their potential in various fields, and be not only mothers and housewives, but also entrepreneurs, innovators, and initiators of new movements.
The idea to create a project about outstanding women of the past came from Yulia Yevpak, chair of the board of the NGO PRO WOMEN UA.
“In April this year, I noticed that one of the city streets had been renamed—now, instead of some Russian writer, it bore the name ”Spokoyna” (Peaceful). After monitoring this situation, I was surprised that none of the new names proposed by the renaming commission were in honor of women who had shaped the history of this region. This is how the desire arose to draw attention to those who were deliberately forgotten — because of Soviet narratives, stereotypes, and little attention to the local context,” she said.
The team sought to explore historical processes in which women had the opportunity to develop, realize themselves, create, and unlock their potential. While searching for stories, the biggest challenge was to settle on these five women. They were suggested by girls from the community who live in those regions, and it was important to start with more well-known figures in various fields. Another challenge was to choose women who were not associated with Russia or the Soviet Union at the time.
One of the milestones in the development of the project was a conversation about Shefika Gasprinska, a Crimean Tatar woman who was one of the first Crimean Tatar women to be invited to elected office and have the right to vote. This became an example of a story that not only Crimea but all of Ukraine should be proud of, because it was, in a way, a precedent for the beginning of the 20th century.
This story was the first and set the tone and style for the ones that followed. The lighthearted presentation, which keeps the viewer’s attention until the end, as well as the opportunity to learn more about outstanding women in a five-minute video or audio podcast, made this project more accessible and interesting to a large audience.
In addition, an important factor in accessibility is the ability to turn on English subtitles in the video, which allows an international audience to learn more about the history of Ukraine and be inspired by the strength of Ukrainian women.
“We did not distribute our videos to the international community through targeted advertising or anything like that, but we reached out to girls who were in the PRO WOMEN community before the full-scale invasion and left Ukraine after February 24, asking them to share our project on their social networks. It was a great opportunity to tell a foreign audience that Ukrainian women were not only housewives and muses for men, but also had the strength and desire to create their own lives. It was important for us that our women understood this and talked about it, that they were the voice of the women’s movement. We are glad that our initiative is contributing to the formation of a Ukrainian political nation in times of crisis, and we are especially pleased that women are actively involved in this,” said the chair of the board of the NGO PRO WOMEN UA.
After years of Soviet propaganda, many stories of women who made significant contributions to Ukraine’s development were deliberately destroyed, forgotten, or erased, devalued, or distorted, leading to a decline in their importance in society. The project helped to restore local histories and give them the recognition they deserve, raising their value in the eyes of the public and drawing attention to awareness of this problem and the introduction of historical narratives in a modern context, restoring the authentic meanings of symbols and concepts by revealing the stories of local women.
The publication of video stories not only helped to learn more about prominent women of the past, but also created a great demand from the audience for discussions about women and comparisons of past and present experiences. Therefore, a project of excursions will start in mid-November, and in October a series of reflection events with various experts began, where the lives of the project’s heroines can be discussed in a contemporary context.
The first event in the series will take place on October 25—The Power of Dreams in Times of Crisis by clinical psychologist Natalia Rainish, where the main theme will be the life and work of Shefika Gasprynska. Such events will be held once a month, inviting various experts to explore the uniqueness and courage of Ukrainian women in history at the intersection of different fields.
You can learn more about the project and these remarkable women on the organization’s YouTube channel.