VOICE’s “Waiting for the Sky to Close”: An On-the-Ground Report about the Humanitarian Crisis Facing Women and Girls in Ukraine

“The world is a crisis for women and girls. There is no safe place for women,” - Mendy Marsh, Co-Founder and Executive Director of VOICE.

It is estimated that nearly 30% of the population of Ukraine is displaced as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, most of whom are women and girls now at great risk for gender-based violence and exploitation.

Join hosts Dee Martin and Caitlin Sickles as they unpack the findings of a new VOICE report, “Waiting for the Sky to Close,” on the experiences of women and girls in the Russia-Ukraine war, alongside VOICE Co-Founder and Executive Director Mendy Marsh, Assessment Ukraine Team Member Yana Tovpeko, and Women’s Rights Ukraine Crisis Response Team Member Michelle Girard.

VOICE is a feminist organization and disruptor in the humanitarian aid establishment, focused on the unique needs of women and girls and members of the LGBTQ+ community in modern-day conflicts and crises.

In the episode, Mendy, Yana, and Michelle share their on-the-ground perspectives of the conflict in Ukraine, their analysis of what needs to be done at a broader level to respect and protect women and girls, and their own strategies for coping with trauma and building healing.