Women’s rights organisations (WROs) in Ukraine face severe disruptions following the suspension of financial support from the United States, a new survey has revealed. The Donald Trump administration officially canceled 83 per cent of US foreign aid contracts this week.
The assessment, conducted by UN Women, the Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine and the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group, showed that nearly half of the 99 surveyed organisations had either received or expected US funding before the cuts were announced in January 2025.
Among these, 72 per cent reported serious disruptions to their activities, threatening emergency response, humanitarian and development initiatives. Five organisations announced plans to close within a month, while 35 stated they would likely shut down in six months if alternative funding was not secured, UN Women said in a press statement.
Women’s rights organisations have played a crucial role in Ukraine’s humanitarian response since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. These groups have provided life-saving support, including shelter, legal aid, medical assistance, and psychosocial services to displaced women, survivors of gender-based violence, and those affected by war crimes. With conflict-related sexual violence rising and millions facing displacement, sustained funding is essential to ensure that vulnerable women and girls continue to receive critical aid and protection.
However, since 2022, international funding for gender equality initiatives in Ukraine has significantly declined. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, only 14 per cent of official development assistance to Ukraine in 2022-2023 included gender equality objectives, far below the global average of 46 per cent. Less than one per cent of the funding was directed towards projects primarily supporting gender equality.
Following the US funding suspension, 66 per cent of surveyed organisations reduced staff, with half expecting further layoffs in the next three months. Additionally, 63 per cent struggled with unpaid invoices for rent, utilities and salaries, while 53 per cent faced difficulties meeting contractual obligations.
“The long-term impact of funding cuts on gender equality and diversity programmes is alarming — 93 per cent of organisations have already shut down at least one such programme. The hardest hit is gender-based violence prevention, an area that was already the most underfunded in humanitarian response,” said Yuliya Sporysh, founder of non-governmental organisation Girls.
Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine, said, “The United States was the biggest development donor in terms of volume for Ukraine, so it is unsurprising that the women’s rights organisations who responded to the rapid assessment are now deeply concerned about how the cuts will affect their ability to continue to support the most vulnerable, just as the security situation is becoming more precarious.”
The funding cut has had a devastating impact on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programmes, with 93 per cent of WROs who responded to the survey forced to halt at least one initiative, Gunes said.
The assessment highlighted the need for more direct, flexible and long-term funding for Ukrainian WROs, particularly in conflict-affected regions in the east and south. Kateryna Levchenko, the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine, said, “The suspension of US financial assistance has a direct effect on programming to support women and girls. It is leading to challenges to provide urgent interim reparations to women and men who have suffered from sexual violence committed by Russian forces and has delayed the extension of this project to those who returned from Russian captivity.”
It also impacts efforts to build underground and safe schools, repair civilian infrastructure destroyed by Russian attacks, ensure access to hospitals, restore the energy sector and much more, affecting hundreds of thousands of families.
Despite these difficulties, Ukrainian WROs continue to show resilience by exploring new funding models and strengthening coalitions. However, UN Women stressed that increased funding was urgently needed to ensure women’s leadership in humanitarian response and gender-responsive recovery efforts.
The publication of the survey coincided with the start of the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark agenda for gender equality.