"People risked their own lives saving the works of Maria Prymachenko from the fire. At that time, the other artist Liubov Panchenko was starving near Kyiv. She was forgotten because she was less known"  

On October 27-28, the International Conference "The Full Face of Humanity: Women's Leadership for a Just Society" was held in Paris, organized by Caritas Internationalis in partnership with the Holy See and in cooperation with UNESCO.  

At this meeting the topic of women's leadership was presented from different perspectives. Speakers examined the sociological, ethical and political perspectives of women's leadership and discussed the need for women's participation in leadership and decision-making to build a more equitable society. Exploring key issues of violence, conflict and poverty, the meeting focused on barriers and suggested ways to overcome them. 

The topics of violence, poverty and conflict were also raised. Around the world, women and girls are experiencing more and more violence. For example, the increase in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to it being called the "second pandemic". In addition, women and girls face harmful cultural and social practices such as female genital mutilation, forced and early marriage, sexual violence and trafficking. The panelists examined the link between these issues in the context of poverty, as well as the key role of women in post-traumatic recovery.  

Speaking about women in wartime, Executive Director of Caritas Spes Ukraine, Father Viacheslav Hrynevych SAC raised the topic of publicity as a tool to save women. He told how during the offensive of Russian troops on February 27 in the village of Ivankiv, Kyiv region, the museum of local history, where about 25 works of the famous artist Maria Prymachenko were kept, burned down.  

"When the fighting was going on at the entrance to the town, the residents were sitting in cellars, there was no communication between them. Everything was flying, shooting and thundering. Since the wind was strong, the wooden roof of the museum quickly began to burn. It was gone in no time. Four people saved some of the artist's works. The head of the local department of culture said that the Russians were not looking for works in people's homes, apparently, they did not understand art, as they took laptops and fans. Because Maria Prymachenko was famous, people risked their own lives to save her art from the fire. At the same time, also near Kyiv, there was no less talented artist, but less known, Liubov Panchenko. She revived Ukrainian culture during the Khrushchev thaw and was persecuted. While people in Ivankiv were saving Prymachenko's paintings, Panchenko was starving in Bucha. She was forgotten," said Father Viacheslav.  

He also noted that today Caritas-Spes is dominated by women as servants. Similarly, when men are in the army, women carry on their shoulders the house, upbringing of children and provision. At the end of World War II, there were entire villages in Ukraine with no men of childbearing age. Wars change the gene pool of nations and affect the role of women in society. Today, a Ukrainian woman is a warrior, a refugee mother, a volunteer and a guardian grandmother who does not leave her old home despite the approach of the frontline.