Iulia Vencenco: if you have the ability to make a career, you can work effectively in any field.

In just two and a half years, Iulia Vencenco went from being a humanitarian aid applicant to the director of her own organization. Iulia is a young woman who came from Odesa, Ukraine, to Moldova in March 2022, for a week, hoping to escape the bombings and to have a rest, but she stayed for the sake of her 7-year-old child, who needed a safe environment and schooling.

For the first four months, she and her son lived with a host family; later, after multiple refusals due to her refugee status, they managed to rent an apartment under the name of a local resident. "In the beginning, there were many challenges: there weren't enough regulations, my status was uncertain, it was very difficult to get my child to school, there were difficulties related to differences in the curriculum, and we faced major financial problems."

Though the nature of issues faced by refugee women has evolved, there are still many areas that need intervention, and Iulia has become one of the activists stepping up to address them. "I come from a business background; in Ukraine, I was a marketing director with managerial experience that many other women do not have. I realized my skills could benefit other women when I arrived in Moldova. I acted on the principle of 'If not me, then who?!' and got involved in lobbying for specific solutions, problem-solving, and counseling. If a person has the ability to make a career, I believe they can work effectively in any field. In Moldova, I didn't have the chance to choose a career, but I found purpose in the work I'm doing."

Iulia worked as volunteer, participated in various local projects, organized creative thinking workshops, and became one of the leaders of an initiative group advocating for the interests of Ukrainian women. She met many wonderful women from Moldova and Ukraine through these activities. At events held by the Moldovan Association of Entrepreneurs with Disabilities - "European Abilities Without Limits" (AEFL), Iulia met Olga, another refugee from Ukraine, and Irina Remeș from AEFL, organization supported by UN Women and WPHF. It was Irina Remeș who encouraged them to start their own organization and helped them register it. This led to the formation of the Ukrainian Refugee Women's Network - "Female Support Force."

"At first, we were very enthusiastic, then months went by when we were consdiering giving up. We couldn’t promote projects, and it was very difficult for us. UN Women was the first organization to believe in us, and the grant we received to strengthen our institutional capacities gave us the strength to keep going. Now we're involved in several activities and are close to resolving some tax-related issues. The changes we're about to agree upon with the Ministry of Finance will positively impact not only refugee women but all women in Moldova," Iulia says.

She can speak endlessly about the problems and difficulties faced by refugee women, yet she remains positive and optimistic, perhaps because many issues have been resolved and others are in progress. "War drastically changes the way we see things. Now, more than ever, I think and act from the perspective of the world I'll leave for my child. I'm not aiming to obtain Moldovan citizenship, I don't know if I’ll stay or go home, nor when the war will end, but I know I can influence policy. The only thing I can't do right now is engage in politics as a politician, but I don't have such aspirations. Working in the non-profit sector has felt like a natural fit, and my business background helps me plan and track activities from an impact perspective."

The Ukrainian Refugee Women's Network - "Female Support Force" is one of the organizations supported by UN Women, receiving financial assistance from the UN Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).