1 ABSTRACT
This study analyzes the important role and impact of the grassroots volunteer movement in Ukraine in the context of defense against the ongoing Russian armed aggression.
The study provides an overview of the dynamics of the volunteer movement in Ukraine and the legal framework, combines data from quantitative and qualitative methods of research on volunteering, analyzes the forms of organization of the volunteer movement, features of grassroots volunteering, interaction with authorities and the public sector, gender aspects of volunteering, development and future prospects of grassroots volunteering. The study covers case studies of associations of families of prisoners, missing persons, and civilian hostages. Recommendations are provided to key stakeholders on measures to strengthen the volunteer movement for the comprehensive defense of Ukraine.
Keywords: volunteer movement, grassroots volunteering, volunteer initiatives, activism, individual volunteer, comprehensive defense, Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ukraine.
The research was conducted by the CSO "Expert Resource Gender in Detail" as part of the project “Gender Mainstreaming in the Context of Comprehensive Defence”, funded by the grant “Best Practices of the Swedish Gender Approach as a Tool for Empowering Ukrainian Women to Implement Sustainable Reforms and Promote Ukraine’s European Integration”, with financial support from the Swedish Institute and in partnership with the Swedish International Liberal Centre.
The project draws on gender mainstreaming practices within Sweden’s comprehensive defence system and represents the first attempt in the Ukrainian context to explore the possibilities of implementing a Swedish-style comprehensive defence strategy in Ukraine while simultaneously integrating a gender perspective across key sectors, including the economy, care work, the armed forces, civil defence, governance, information policy, and the volunteer movement.
The project’s concept author and project lead is Tamara Zlobina, PhD in Philosophy and Head of the CSO "Expert Resource Gender in Detail".
Project mentors and reviewers of the analytical reports:
Olena Strelnyk, Doctor of Sociological Sciences
Hanna Hrytsenko, Gender Expert
Project managers: Alyona Hruzina, Halyna Repetska
