On 21 January, the first cluster training for partner hromadas of the Polaris Programme was held at “PROSVIT” Gymnasium in the Lubny hromada, Poltava oblast, bringing together two areas – “Education at the Local and Regional Levels” and the cross-cutting area of gender equality. The event became a space for dynamic professional interaction, where education was viewed as a real driver of change within the system of prevention and response to domestic and gender-based violence (GBV).
From the regulatory framework to practical solutions
The primary objective of the training was to strengthen the capacity of educational institutions to prevent and respond to GBV, as well as to establish sustainable cooperation between schools and hromadas.
The event brought together 45 participants – coordinators of the relevant area and management teams from schools in the Lubny, Novoorzhytsia and Orzhytsia hromadas, primarily practising psychologists and social pedagogues, as well as psychologists from three preschool education institutions. The format was designed as a space for dialogue, experience exchange and joint reflection on complex issues.
The training was moderated by Artem Horobets, Local-Level Education Expert of the Polaris Programme, who emphasised the uniqueness of the format:
“This is the first training for educational institutions on the prevention of and response to gender-based violence conducted in synergy between the education and gender equality areas. Through such initiatives, Polaris continues to support the development of a non-discriminatory educational environment within the New Ukrainian School.”
The training was delivered by gender expert Kateryna Rostovska, who structured the programme to integrate the legal framework, analytical understanding of the causes of GBV, and practical tools for action at the level of educational institutions.
According to Kateryna Rostovska, the key task of such initiatives is to highlight the role of education within a holistic community-level system of violence prevention and response:
“A school is not only a place of learning – it is also a space for early risk detection. When educators understand the nature of gender-based violence and have clear action algorithms, they can genuinely influence children’s safety and family support.”
Key topics of the training included:
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how schools can become spaces free from gender stereotypes and all forms of discrimination;
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legal response algorithms to cases of domestic violence and their practical implementation;
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how to recognise violence disguised as ‘norms’, traditions, stereotypes, or ‘educational methods’;
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how to distinguish conflict from violence and not to dismiss warning signals;
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how to build an environment where safety is a system, not a reaction to isolated cases.
Special attention was given to the role of educational institutions within the system of prevention of and response to domestic and/or gender-based violence.
A distinctive highlight of the training was the presentation by Anastasiia Ruchka, a 10th-grade student of the Brothers Shemety Lubny Lyceum, who shared the results of her research on the influence of patriarchal worldviews on the development of leading 21st-century democracies. Her contribution added a strong intergenerational dimension to the event and once again underscored the role of education in shaping critical thinking, equality values and responsibility.
Education as an active actor in the response system
The practical part of the training focused on the specific mandates and responsibilities defined by current legislation for educational institutions.
Participants highly appreciated the practical orientation and dialogical format of the training. Yuliia Karpenko, practising psychologist at “PROSVIT” Gymnasium, noted:
“Thanks to the trainer’s professionalism, participants gained practical tools for timely identification of affected children and further coordination. This training is extremely important for creating a safe and protected environment in our educational institution.”
Valentyna Bezhan, psychologist at Tarandyntsi Comprehensive School (Grades I–III), emphasised the value of the format:
“The informal atmosphere, dialogue and group work enabled easy exchange of ideas. We received answers to important questions about gender discrimination, women’s rights protection, leadership and sexism, while also gaining new knowledge that generates new questions. This confirms that we are on the right path in developing a deeper understanding of the issue.”
An important outcome of the training was the decision to launch an information campaign to be implemented by educational institutions for parents, learners and teaching staff – both at the level of individual institutions and through cooperation between schools within hromadas and across different hromadas.
The training in Lubny demonstrated that work on gender-based violence in education can be living, meaningful and effective – when expertise, practical tools and genuine inter-institutional cooperation are combined. Such formats make it possible to translate the values of equality and non-discrimination from declarations into everyday management and educational practices. Through the integration of education and gender equality areas, the Polaris Programme consistently supports hromadas in building safe, open and people-centred educational environments.
