Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inserted foot firmly in mouth during his presidential tour of Europe this week when he said his nation's women were "beautiful" and served as a good tourism "brand" for the country. The lack of culture and respect in the words of the president, to me, is a trait of deviant behavior or infantilism. When the head of state allows such 'jokes', it is necessary to sound the alarm. Marina Usmanova, a journalist from the southern city of Kherson, informed the president that "a travel brand is what a country or city sells to tourists. Kherson watermelons, Georgian wine, Riga balsam.
Ukraine: On the border between old and new in uncertain times
Gender discrimination and violence against women are manifested in many ways in Ukraine: domestic violence, rape, physical assault, stalking, sexual harassment etc. Domestic violence and rape have reached epidemic rate in Ukraine. Domestic violence represents a serious problem in Ukraine. The national system of collecting and processing of the information on domestic violence is non-existent.
Despite the difficult working conditions in Ukraine, marked by political and economic instability, La Strada has extended its campaigns, improved their quality and geographical scope in the past years, and has laid a firm basis for an independent, expert Ukrainian NGO against trafficking in people. La Strada Ukraine continually strives towards professionalization and independence and develops new topics and forms of activity in the field. The organisation has developed special expertise and knowledge on trafficking in children, prevention of gender violence and human rights activities in the past years and cooperates closely with child rights organisations, human rights organisation and women's rights organisations in Ukraine and abroad.