Women’s Leadership Training in Ukraine
This past year, PK Ukraine recruited 40 representatives from the Jewish community and secular/civil women's organizations who were in need of leadership training and media literacy. The introduction of participants from civil society also provided the opportunity for combating ethnic stereotypes and anti-Semitism in their communities. PKU’s program focused on building the following competencies:
Implementation of social projects in today’s Ukraine: tools for online work, time management, teamwork and delegation, and strategic planning;
Basic principles of social media management and public relations: creation of visual and textual content, events, public speaking, promotion of projects on social networks; and
Women's activism and leadership in Jewish life
This year, 76 candidates from Ukraine, ages 21-48, applied for 40 spots in the program. 24 of the participants are representatives of Jewish NGOs, Chesed and communities, and 16 are representatives of Ukrainian women’s NGOs who are committed to our shared values and activism. One participant is an activist with special needs who is able to join the training remotely. The curriculum consists of 4 compulsory modules and one optional module. Participants will have 17 online lectures and homework assignments. According to participants' feedback, the following topics were the most interesting and powerful: "Women's and Men's Leadership in Torah and Modernity" with Dana Pullver, "Leadership for Leaders" with Sophia Opatska, "Personal Brand of a Woman-Leader" with Olena Kuligina, "Long-Term Planning in Situations of Uncertainty" with Olga Silverman. These topics received the most positive feedback.
Project Kesher Ukraine, with the support of the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter, printed a Jewish calendar in Ukrainian for the entire community that includes Jewish holidays, Ukrainian holidays, and feminist days of significance. It will be the first Ukrainian Jewish calendar that highlights women’s imagery, and the artwork has been uniquely designed by a Ukrainian female artist. The PKU team is excited to see this calendar hanging on the walls of Jewish synagogues, preschools, retirement homes, classrooms, and other institutions. PKU’s Director, Vlada Nedak is completing an MBA at Lviv Catholic University and her studies have helped inform program design and broadened her access to potential facilitators across Ukraine.