In May–June 2025, the Polaris Programme conducted a series of field visits to partner hromadas selected for cooperation in strengthening coordination mechanisms in the field of domestic violence prevention and response. Eight territorial hromadas from various regions of Ukraine have joined the partnership: Orzhyk (Poltava oblast), Pokrovsk and Troitsk (Dnipropetrovsk oblast), Blyzniuky (Kharkiv oblast), Velykyi Bychkiv and Kamianka (Zakarpattia oblast), Zorya (Rivne oblast), and Vodyanytsia (Cherkasy oblast).
The Format – Idea Residencies
A unique feature of the visits was the format of “Idea Residencies” – interactive meetings where representatives of local self-government, police, social services, education, healthcare, probation, Administrative Services Centres (ASC), free legal aid, and civil society organisations jointly analysed the current situation, identified problems, and proposed concrete solutions.
In total, 165 people participated in these events (128 women and 37 men). Participants noted that open dialogue among all services allowed them not only to see the full picture of challenges in responding to domestic violence but also to strengthen interagency cooperation for more effective support to survivors.
Key Discussion Topics
During the residencies, participants discussed:
- The current state of detection and response to domestic violence cases in the hromadas;
- Challenges in coordinating work between various services;
- Lack of resources for comprehensive response;
- The need for systematic information exchange among all involved stakeholders;
- The role of starostas (local leaders) in ensuring timely response;
- The necessity of ongoing public awareness campaigns.
Particular attention was given to engaging communities in building a culture of zero tolerance for violence and fostering gender equality.
First Results in Partner Hromadas
In each hromada, the joint work resulted in the development of a roadmap – a step-by-step plan for building a coordinated mechanism of interagency response to domestic violence.
“Coordinated actions by all services allow for the most effective response: supporting survivors and taking timely action against offenders. This is why revising existing cooperation algorithms is such an important part of our work,” emphasised Julia Saveleva, Polaris Programme gender expert.
Examples from Partner Hromadas
- In Zorya hromada, the Idea Residency gathered over 30 participants from various sectors. A local coordination model was presented, and work began on the roadmap.
- In Vodyanytsia hromada, it was noted that partnering with Polaris had already helped bring all key services into the process. The meeting involved in-depth analysis and the first steps towards improved coordination.
- In Pokrovsk hromada, Polaris experts participated in the meeting of the Coordination Council, where priority steps to enhance cooperation were identified together with service representatives.
- In Orzhyk hromada, the partnership has launched long-term expert support and the development of concrete local coordination mechanisms.
- In Blyzniuky hromada, participants identified a number of priority areas for further improvement in responding to violence and supporting survivors.
“The goal of our joint work is to create, in each hromada, a functional, practical, and realistic response mechanism for domestic violence cases. Where there is clear coordination, there are results – the protection of every person,” noted expert Julia Saveleva.
Next Steps for the Partnership
Polaris will continue to provide expert support to all eight partner hromadas at least through the end of the year. The next stages include consultations, experience exchange, studying best practices, and further development of effective interagency coordination mechanisms.
