Alyona Ivasyuk Reflects on Girl-talk-Girl Ukraine
A brave and powerful young woman participating in Girl-talk-Girl Ukraine, a program by Footage Foundation that uses mobile digital storytelling to connect and empower young women at risk of experiencing gender-based violence, shares her thoughts.
Alyona Ivasyuk’s Reflections
English translation
One day, a moment comes when it is simply necessary to do a general cleaning of the “house.” The house is not only external, but internal. I decided to approach as responsibly as possible to the case: I took unnecessary things to a charity store, gave books to the library, and began to “clean” my thoughts. To open the door to a new one, it is necessary to throw out the old junk, which has accumulated a lot in 20 years of life.
And the good did not wait. An unexpected message from a friend with an invitation to the workshop was for me, familiar with the above. So, we must immediately go, there was no doubt. But, I will say right away, I did not understand, until the last, what would happen to me the next weekend. Only on the second day of the seminar, when I saw the video work of a girl from New York, I suddenly, clearly realized for myself why I’m here. As if a flash of lightning lit up me: I can be useful to the world, sharing my story. No matter how serious your problem is, someone has already experienced similar, and therefore, there is an exit, the main thing is to find it. The final point of the Kyiv workshop “Girl-talk-Girl” was the creation of an animated film in which the story of each girl is revealed. I confess that sharing the most vital was not easy. But the most difficult thing to write my story, I felt “naked” not only to others, but to myself in the first place. Every time, I read the story over and over again, I was released. It seemed as if I managed to take off and look at my insignificant fears and feelings from the heights, to see the situation brought by the wild pain and find a way out. Workshop was a real discovery for me. We are so different, unlike each other, but in every woman, there is hidden a divine spark that must be found in ourselves. And only the fearlessness of being yourself and the desire to share your authenticity with the world, something that leads to complete inner healing. Thank you, “Girl-talk-Girl” for the opportunity to grow, for the insights that arose during our conversations, for the fact that I found people close in spirit and climbed a step up.
Alyona Ivasyuk’s Reflections
Original Russian text
Однажды приходит момент, когда просто необходимо сделать гениральную уборку «дома». Дома не только внешнего, но и внутреннего. Я решила подойти максимально ответственно к делу: отнесла ненужные вещи в благотворительный магазин, отдала книги в библиотеку и начала «чистить» мысли. Чтобы открыть двери новому, необходимо выкинуть старое барахло, которого немало накопилось за 20 лет жизни.
И хорошее не заставило себя ждать. Неожиданное сообщение от подруги с приглашением на семинар стало для меня знаком с выше. Значит, надо немедленно идти, сомнений не было. Но скажу сразу, я до последнего не понимала что будет происходить со мной в ближайшие выходные. Только на второй день семинара, когда я увидела видеоработу девушки из Нью-Йорка, я вдруг чётко осознала для себя зачем я здесь. Будто вспышка молнии озарила меня: я могу быть полезна миру, поделившись своей историей. Какой бы серьёзной не была твоя проблема, кто-то уже переживал похожее, а значит выход есть, главное-найти его. Финальной точкой киевского семинара Girl-talk-Girl стало создание анимационного фильма, в котором раскрывается история каждой девушки. Признаюсь, делиться самым животрепещущем было не просто. Но сложнее всего писать свою историю, я чувствовала себя «голой» не только перед окружающими, но перед собой в первую очередь. Каждый раз, перечитывая рассказ снова и снова, я освобождалась. Мне будто удалось взлететь и с высоты посмотреть на свои ничтожные страхи и переживания, увидеть ситуацию, приносимую дикую боль и найти выход. Семинар стал настоящим открытием для меня. Мы настолько разные, непохожие друг на друга, но при этом в каждой женщине скрыта божественная искра, которую необходимо отыскать в себе. И только бесстрашие быть собой, и желание делиться своей аутентичностью с миром — то, что ведёт к полному внутреннему исцелению. Спасибо Girl-talk-Girl за возможность роста, за инсайты, которые возникли на протяжении наших бесед, за то, что я нашла близких по духу людей и поднялась на ступеньку вверх.
Further Information on Girl-talk-Girl Ukraine
There is a clear need for programming that supports women and girls affected by conflict in Ukraine, as the country has only three shelters for women escaping violent situations, and the subject of gender-based violence remains shrouded in secrecy and dismissed as a “family issue.” As expected, higher incidences of violence, including sexual violence, trafficking, and forced sex work are reported amongst internally displaced peoples (IDPs).
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reported 1.2 million registered IDPs in Ukraine. According to a 2015 report from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, at least 60% of IDPs in Ukraine are women and children.
In 2016, when Ukrainian journalist Nastya Melnychenko posted her own stories of violence on social media and asked others to join, her mission went viral. Hundreds of women across Ukraine and Russia shared their experiences, making their often silenced voices around this taboo subject heard.
Melnychenko’s work reveals the need for safe spaces for women to share their experiences, and the benefits of such a practice extend beyond sharing stories.
Evaluation of Footage Foundation’s programming demonstrates that having a platform for communicating experiences and connecting with peers across borders, strengthens dialogue and understanding amongst people, as well as increases feelings of connection, empathy, and compassion for the self and other — essential constituents of well-being.
Girl-talk-Girl Ukraine ran in collaboration with community-based arts organizations Artil Maidan and Theater for Dialogue with funding from a Public Diplomacy Program Award from the United States Embassy in Ukraine.
