During her visit, Ukrainian TV presenter and actress Maria Efrosinina talked to women staying in the "Hope to the Future" crisis center, met with specialists who work with the victims, and learned about the activities of key state structures ensuring violence response in the city.

"It was a difficult visit to me. It is unlike anything else I did before. It gave me an insight into the problem of violence not through dry statistical figures, but rather an opportunity to meet and look in the eyes of real women affected by violence, talk and decide in my heart and mind on how to work further in order to help them. It was a good start, but there is still a lot of work ahead"- Honorary Ambassador Maria Efrosinina shared her impressions.

Masha Efrosinina spoke with 30 women who faced gender-based violence. They also took part in the workshop on the basics of make-up art, while Ukrainian photographer Lera Polska, the author of the "Fearless" project, shared her tips of behaving confidently in front of a camera. This activity has become a motivational event for women, which helped them to look at their lives from different perspective to break the cycle of violence.

 "I knocked at many doors. I asked friends and acquaintances for help. But they would only listen to me and nothing else. However, here (in the shelter - UNFPA) I felt the support from people who are really caring", Oksana, the crisis center client, shared her impressions.

At a meeting with Deputy Mayor Valentina Bierlin and heads of various government agencies involved in the domestic violence response system, Maria Efrosinina appreciated the innovative and ambitious approaches to combating violence, which means that public sector structures pay proper attention to this problem.