Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. In light of that and the fact that Ukraine is currently battling for its life as a free country, I want to highlight the voices of Ukrainian women. Here are 6 quotes for International Women’s Day.
Confidence, not cockiness. Knowing who you are is confidence. Cockiness is knowing who you are and pushing it down everyone’s throats.
Mila Kunis – Actress
I’m a changemaker and not afraid of standing up for what I believe in.
Nadia Tutarieva – Women’s Rights Activist
Now is the time to protect my country, my house and my family.
Viktoria Makarova – Construction Manager while learning self-defence before the invasion
This (is) the right place for girls. I know a lot of professional female soldiers and I believe gender in this situation doesn’t matter.
Dariya Konokh – Law Student while learning self-defence before the invasion
I am a strong Ukrainian girl, that is why I work a lot.
Milla Jovovich – Actress
Today I will not have panic and tears. I will be calm and confident.
Olena Zelenska – First Lady of Ukraine
If you wish to help refugees in this war, here are some organizations that are helping. Some people are going to Airbnb and making reservations in Ukrainian homes in order to ensure the Ukrainian hosts are able to earn an income.
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher set up a Go-Fund-Me to raise 30 million dollars to help refugees. They are matching 3 million to the fund. Money raised will be split between Flexport.org which is organizing shipments of relief supplies to refugee sites in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova. And to Airbnb which is providing free, short-term housing to refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Americares has an emergency response team in Poland to assist with providing health services to refugees.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has a specific page set up so you can designate money to the Ukrainian crisis. Their focus is on medical supplies, along with food, water, and hygiene-related items.
But, let’s be honest, there is also a lot of racism going on as international students from Arab and African countries are being denied access to trains out of Ukraine or being denied at border countries.
The words being used are also disturbing as to why it’s easier to assist the Ukrainians now than it was to help Syrian refugees after Russia bombed Aleppo. We need to be better.
