Divchata

Divchata (ГО «Дівчата») is an all-Ukrainian feminist public organization that supports women and girls in Ukraine. It grew out of a 2016 educational initiative by activist Yuliia Sporysh, who began organizing lectures on sexual education for teenagers with the participation of a gynecologist. The organization was officially registered on 1 July 2019 and began systematic fundraising, recruiting professional lecturers, developing educational programs and cooperating with schools. Its mission is to help every Ukrainian woman and girl freely plan her life, be self-reliant and fulfilled, with a vision of Ukraine as a country where women are successful, wealthy and happy. Divchata's work spans several key areas: sexual education and training; support during the war, including comprehensive assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs); advocacy to draw international attention to Ukraine's needs and to women's organizations; mental health services through stationary spaces, mobile services and online platforms; and countering gender-based violence through educational programs, information campaigns and training for law enforcement, social services and educators. The organization also runs online safety tests and toolkits for teenagers and parents, career consultations, child-friendly spaces, leadership programs, voucher support, summer camps and research on mental health, gender equality and women's rights. In 2020 Divchata launched its first major project on menstrual health and hygiene, "Health Without Shame," in partnership with UNICEF, with implementation starting in winter 2021. Following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the organization expanded its humanitarian activities, forming a team of 300 people and raising $2,000,000 for its own projects. In 2023 it became an active member of the Humanitarian NGO Platform and a co-founder of the Alliance of Ukrainian CSOs. By 2024 it held a leading position in the Ukrainian feminist movement, implementing projects across the country, introducing sexual education at the national level, advocating localization of humanitarian response and gaining international recognition; its founder received the Anna Klein Women's Award. In 2025 the organization scaled to over 500 employees with an annual budget exceeding $6,000,000, reaching hundreds of thousands of women and girls each year. Divchata operates in twelve regions of Ukraine (Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Rivne, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi oblasts), providing social rehabilitation for IDPs and vulnerable groups, organizing evacuations from dangerous regions, and delivering humanitarian and psychological aid. It is part of the child protection, GBV, WASH and GiHA sub-clusters, represents Ukraine in the OSCE working group on women's participation in the digital economy, and participates in the special working group of the Prosecutor General's Office on conflict-related sexual violence. In September 2022 its educational materials received approval from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. As of early 2025 the team numbered 350 people, including project managers, financiers, procurement specialists, logisticians, communications specialists, psychologists and social workers.

The origins of Divchata are linked to the civic activity of Yuliia Sporysh, who in 2016 initiated "Lectures for Girls" with the support of a gynecologist expert. The purpose of the meetings was to encourage teenage girls to consciously build a life strategy. The lectures were open not only to girls but also to boys, and requests for such educational events came from school administrations and parent committees. Sporysh's circle of like-minded people grew rapidly, and over several years a team of its own lecturers and the first ambassadors of the future organization was formed. In 2019 systematic fundraising began, and on 1 July 2019 the public organization "Divchata" was officially registered. In 2020 Divchata began cooperation with UNICEF under the "Health Without Shame" program, the implementation of which started in Ukraine in winter 2021. The project promoted hygiene in the context of menstrual health. Working according to UNICEF standards, the team grew in number, gained experience in managing international projects and media communications, and developed organizational policies. From February 2022, due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the organization began expanding its activities toward helping war-affected people. Initially, it provided targeted financial assistance in the Kyiv region. Later it introduced projects for humanitarian and psychological assistance to members of large families, measures for social rehabilitation of internally displaced persons, support for women's shelters, and more. In 2022, against the backdrop of the full-scale war, the organization expanded its humanitarian activities, formed a team of 300 people and raised $2,000,000 for its own projects. In 2023 the organization became an active member of the Humanitarian NGO Platform and one of the co-founders of the Alliance of Ukrainian CSOs. It also strengthened its role in humanitarian response by joining clusters and working groups. In 2024 Divchata implemented projects aimed at supporting women and girls throughout Ukraine and introduced sexual education at the national level. The founder of the organization received the Anna Klein Women's Award for significant contribution to the development of the feminist movement and the protection of women's rights. In 2025 the organization scaled to over 500 employees, and its annual budget exceeded $6,000,000. Program coverage grew — every year hundreds of thousands of women and girls receive assistance. As of early 2025, the team numbered 350 people, including experienced project managers, financiers, procurement specialists, logisticians, communications specialists, psychologists, social workers and narrow specialists. The organization operates in twelve regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Rivne, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. It is part of the child protection, GBV, WASH and GiHA sub-clusters, represents Ukraine in the OSCE working group on women's participation in the digital economy, and participates in the special working group of the Prosecutor General's Office on conflict-related sexual violence. In September 2022, Divchata's educational materials received approval from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

• 2025

  The organization scales to over 500 employees, with an annual budget exceeding $6,000,000.

• 2024

  Divchata takes a leading position in the Ukrainian feminist movement; the founder receives the Anna Klein Women's Award.

• 2023

  The organization becomes an active member of the Humanitarian NGO Platform and a co-founder of the Alliance of Ukrainian CSOs.

• 2022

  Against the backdrop of the full-scale war, the organization expands humanitarian activities, forms a team of 300 people and raises $2,000,000 for its own projects.

• 2022

  In September, Divchata's educational materials receive approval from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

• 2021

  Implementation of the "Health Without Shame" program starts in Ukraine in winter.

• 2020

  Launch of the first major project on menstrual health and hygiene, "Health Without Shame," in partnership with UNICEF.

• 2019

  Official registration of the public organization "Divchata" on 1 July; start of active work, fundraising and cooperation with schools.

• 2016

  Yuliia Sporysh initiates "Lectures for Girls" on sexual education for teenagers with a gynecologist.

All-Ukrainian feminist NGO providing education, humanitarian aid, mental health support and advocacy for women and girls, with a focus on wartime response and gender equality.

• Sexual education lectures and trainings

  Educational events on contraception, physiology, consent culture, parenting, menstrual hygiene, etc.

• Online safety tests and toolkits

  A set of tools to help teenagers and their parents analyze how safe their online behavior is.

• Psychological support services

  Stationary spaces for individual and group consultations, mobile services and online platforms.

• Humanitarian aid for IDPs

  Comprehensive support: material needs, psychological care, social adaptation in new communities.

• Child-friendly spaces and rehabilitation centers

  Spaces and programs for children affected by war, including leadership programs and summer camps.

• Research reports

  Qualitative, quantitative and desk research on mental health, gender equality and women's rights.

1. 1ГО “Дівчата” — громадська організація для підтримки жінок і дівчат в Україніdivchata.org
2. 2Місія та історія | ГО “Дівчата” — жіночі ініціативи в Україніdivchata.org
3. 3Divchatawikidata.org
4. 4Дівчата (організація)uk.wikipedia.org