On October 15, a daycare centre for social and psychological assistance to survivors of domestic and/or gender-based violence was opened at 13 Kyivskyi Maidan Street in Lutsk. This initiative has been implemented as part of the UNFPA project "Cities and Communities Free from Domestic Violence" in Ukraine.

Since May 2023, the city has been a participant in this project, within which training has been provided for social workers, psychologists, lawyers, and police representatives. The city operates a crisis room, an information and psychological support hotline, and two mobile teams.

In the first nine months of 2024, the two mobile teams conducted 718 field visits. Social services were provided to 943 survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, including 478 women and 309 children.  

Survivors can also seek advisory, informational, and psychological support through the information and psychological support hotline. As of today, 845 requests have been received.  

This is why the opening of the daycare centre will serve as valuable support for the community.  

"There are many cases of women seeking help due to domestic violence; unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents, and the number of requests continues to grow. We must respond to these challenges. Sadly, many people have nowhere else to turn for help apart from such centres and the city's social services. I would like to thank UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, and all other partners who helped us open this remarkable space. I am confident that those seeking help, psychological support, kind words, advice, and consultations will find the support they need here, and our specialists will help them overcome this crisis," said Ihor Polishchuk, Mayor of Lutsk.

"Avon Ukraine, as a socially responsible business, cannot remain indifferent to the events happening around us. Supporting women and their well-being is one of the company's priorities. In cooperation with UNFPA, we are doing everything possible to ensure that every woman feels safe and knows that she is not alone in facing challenges—she can count on the necessary qualified assistance. A charitable contribution of $160,000 from Avon International will help provide even more support to survivors of violence and make such assistance more accessible. The presence of such centres is a crucial part of the city’s infrastructure, helping to create a better world for women and, in turn, a better world for everyone," said Maryna Sukhetska, Internal Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist at Avon Ukraine.

 

The daycare centre is a free, accessible, and safe space where survivors of violence can receive comprehensive support in a comfortable environment, including:  

• Consultations with a psychologist and a social worker;  
• Legal counseling;  
• Social support services aimed at overcoming or minimizing the consequences of domestic and gender-based violence;  
• Information about services provided by other organizations and institutions working in the field of violence prevention and response.

The daycare centre in Lutsk is the fourth facility opened in partnership with Avon as part of a $160,000 charitable contribution. This funding was allocated for the establishment of four social and psychological support centres in Irpin, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kryvyi Rih, and Lutsk.