Establishment of a Non-Governmental Organization
Oksana and Alina Mykytyshyn co-founded the NGO “Cluster of Initiatives” to promote gender equality and support women’s projects. Despite financial challenges, their “Women’s Self-Defense Club” united women in Ternopil, Kyiv, and Lviv, improving their safety and self-esteem. Although the organization was closed after their relocation abroad, the sessions in Lviv have continued for over eight years, demonstrating the lasting impact of their initiative.
Fear and Hatred Toward Gender Issues in Ternopil
I met Alina Mykytyshyn under very unusual circumstances: I was helping Michel Jacobi find volunteers for his buffalo farm in the village of Steblivka in Zakarpattia. Emanuel, who was in Ternopil at the time, responded to my online post and came to the first meeting with his girlfriend Alina. That’s how we became friends and stayed in touch.
At that time, I was living and working in Ternopil, while Alina was studying foreign philology (English) at the Pedagogical University. Alina tirelessly tried for several years to get into a university abroad but unfortunately kept receiving rejection letters.
As we talked more, we realized there were very few organizations in Ternopil genuinely addressing gender equality and supporting women’s initiatives. Back in 2016, it was common to see job ads looking for “attractive women aged 18 to 30” or outdoor advertisements for car washes featuring scantily clad women. Objectification, sexism, ageism, and misogyny were topics discussed only in private because hardly anyone brought them into the public space. Active and visible organizations were limited to Kyiv and larger cities in Ukraine.
In 2017, I began writing articles for the website “50 Percent” (about women in politics), and the same year, Alina and I founded the NGO “Cluster of Initiatives.” We had about ten members from different cities, and our charter, which included a focus on promoting gender equality, caused surprise among officials and registrars.
Women’s Confidence and Safety — Foundations for Equality
Our first project was the “Women’s Self-Defense Club,” for which we were unable to secure funding. Grant applications were repeatedly rejected, but we didn’t give up.
I contacted the Krav Maga Federation in Kyiv (Israeli self-defense martial art) to ask for help connecting with trainers in various Ukrainian cities. As a result, we managed to organize three clubs in Ternopil, Kyiv, and Lviv. The trainers agreed to charge reduced fees, and women contributed symbolic amounts for the sessions.
In Kyiv and Lviv, more than 25 women attended the first session, while in Ternopil, about 30 participated. Subsequent training sessions were held twice a week.
These sessions were invaluable, as they fostered self-esteem, enhanced personal safety, and boosted confidence among women. I recall an exercise where participants were asked to shout loudly. For some, it was physically or emotionally challenging to do so. Such difficulty reflected how deeply ingrained cultural norms had restricted their ability to assert themselves or raise their voices. Many of us carried the internalized message: “You’re a girl; you shouldn’t do that.”
We also organized meetings with a psychologist who spoke about fear and how to overcome it. Alina and I tried to attend NGO training and feminist events to learn from more experienced colleagues.
When Alina and I eventually moved abroad permanently, we had to close the organization. The self-defense courses in Ternopil lasted for a year, in Kyiv for about nine months, while in Lviv, they continue to this day. Women have self-organized and have been running sessions for eight years.
This is highly motivating, as it shows that some projects take on a life of their own and profoundly impact the lives of those involved. As the visionary and ideological leader, this outcome is incredibly meaningful to me.