Since the outset of the full-scale invasion, women leaders, especially those from frontline and border municipalities, have been working and living under unprecedented pressure. They work in extremely demanding conditions, often without stable communications and resources. Daily challenges vary greatly, from security threats to providing basic services to residents — all emotionally and psychologically draining tasks. Without proper mental health resources, women leaders can become emotionally vulnerable or isolated, which directly affects the quality of governance, community cohesion and trust in authority.
To support these women, U-LEAD with Europe launched a special initiative in September to strengthen women’s leadership skills in adverse circumstances. It is designed to help female senior officials find internal resources, strengthen emotional resilience and learn to regain strength in order to perform at their best even in the most challenging situations.
The initiative draws on the latest evidence-based approaches to preventing burnout, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), art therapy, facilitation, support groups, coaching, psychoeducation and interactive learning. A big emphasis is placed on self-awareness and emotional regulation skills.
The programme’s first step was the training session “Women Leader amidst the Storm: Values as a Point of Support”, which brought together 29 female municipal officials representing the eastern, northern and southern regions — Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava Oblasts, as well as Kyiv, Chernihiv, Rivne, Volyn and Zhytomyr Oblasts. The participants devoted several days to practical exercises, sharing their experiences and frank conversations about things that help them stay afloat.
According to the coordinator of the initiative, the Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Kherson Oblast, Oksana Siliukova, the programme was devised as a space of trust and recovery:
“We sought to create a space where the inner strength of a woman leader becomes a tangible resource for the municipality, a space where you can feel support, trust and true community. These few days provided a unique platform for making new acquaintances, rethinking personal values and searching for ways to recover. It became clear even after the first stage that we were on the right track, as the emotions and communication we shared with each other would remain in our community and last beyond the programme, giving us strength in our daily challenges.”
During the training, the participants learned to recognise their own needs, listen to themselves, seek recovery points and make value-based decisions. Metaphorical exercises helped them analyse life experiences, talk about challenges openly and find support and understanding in others.
“I will be leaving this place with the understanding that we are all connected. And even in the most difficult of times, there is a community that will support us,” shares one of the participants.
A series of online training sessions and individual consultations is in progress, and participants can look forward to another event, “Women Leaders of the Future: The Power of Togetherness”, which will gather participants from different oblasts. The training will be followed by the publication of a handbook containing practical materials for women leaders, which will include tools for self-support, burnout prevention and helping others.
“During the next stages, women will work on developing emotional self-regulation skills, finding internal resources and making decisions in the face of uncertainty. The initiative has become not only a learning experience but also a safe space for recovery and unity for the participants. This is a place where women leaders from different parts of Ukraine inspire each other, find new meanings and reaffirm that the strength of a municipality is rooted in the resilience of its leader,” concluded Oksana Siliukova.
