During her participation in the 10th anniversary Ukrainian Women’s Congress, “From Exceptions to New Standards”, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, Valentina Falco, highlighted the importance of advancing gender equality, women’s leadership and sustainable change in Ukrainian society.

The Congress brought together about 300 participants, including Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Co-founder of the Congress and Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Vsevolod Chentsov, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová, alongside representatives of the Ukrainian Parliament and Government, international organisations, civil society and business.

In her speech, Valentina Falco emphasised:

🔹 Addressing social isolation and multiple discrimination. Roma women, women belonging to national minorities, LGBTI, women with disabilities, internally displaced women and women living in poverty often face intersecting barriers that limit their opportunities and participation.

🔹 Turning equal rights into real opportunities. Access to quality education, employment, vocational training and economic independence is essential to overcoming exclusion and strengthening women’s resilience.

🔹 Strengthening the inclusion of Roma women and girls. Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)1 provides important standards for addressing discrimination and promoting equal access to education, employment and participation in public life.

Through its work in Ukraine, the Council of Europe supports dialogue between public authorities and communities, civil society participation and the inclusion of national minorities, Roma, internally displaced persons and LGBTI people in public and political life.

A society cannot be truly inclusive if some women are still forced to stand at its margins. Every woman must have the opportunity to live with dignity, participate and belong.