Far from the front, Ukrainian women have “taken over the obligations” of men

• Iryna Tuz, a 38-year-old Ukrainian living in Toulouse since 2010, chairs the Ukraine Libre association, which collects humanitarian donations for Ukraine.

  Leaving behind her husband and two children, she returned to Ukraine to see her parents and supervise the work of her association there.

• Iryna Tuk tells

  20 Minutes

  about the life that is slowly returning to its quarters in the Ukrainian capital after five months of armed conflict throughout a series in four episodes called "In the eye of Iryna".

• In this third episode, the former journalist tells how Ukrainian women, even far from the front, are confronted with the war on a daily basis: by taking the place of the men who have gone to the front for work, by managing the absence, by raising funds, by undergoing mourning or sexual violence sometimes.

If the Ukrainians are united behind their army and the yellow and blue banner since the beginning of the Russian invasion, "the war has divided the population according to gender".

Iryna Tuz's observation, after several weeks spent in Ukraine, is clear.

There is, of course, the front, assigned to the men, since the general mobilization only applies to them for the moment.

And then the rear, almost in the manner of the First World War, where the women, if they are not alone, fill in all the gaps and have "taken over the obligations" of the men: health, preparation of weapons or rations, works…

In the streets of Kiev, "there are not necessarily more women", but the men are "a lot in uniform", testifies the Ukrainian for

.

She remembers in particular having met "two soldiers in a jewelry store", in search of a gift for their wives thanks to the "substantial salary" paid to them by the army.

At the moment, bracelets and necklaces with a

, the trident symbol of Ukraine, are also very successful.

“Giving your time saves people”

Because in a “non-macho Ukrainian society”, women are not forgotten.

About his companion, a friend of Iryna, enlisted in the flag, confides to him that "she often cries, but she holds on because she has no choice, there are the children".

To maintain confidence, she participates in appeal campaigns for donations for the army.

Others sew camouflage nets for snipers.

Two friends of Iryna, Ukrainians living in France, did not hesitate to return to Ukraine to get involved in volunteer centers, where there are many women.

One of them has been there for five months, and is preparing “equipment supplies” for the troops, using her contacts “to get thirteen bullet-proof vests at the price of ten”.

The other, Natalia, whom we were able to reach, “helps to prepare the bags of food and distribute them in the villages” where it has been needed for two months.

“Giving your time saves people,” sums up Iryna Tuz.

Demonstrators, widows and displaced

Women also fight their own battles.

In the streets, they "organize" and constitute the overwhelming majority of "demonstrations of support" for the army, demanding the release of prisoners of war.

At the end of April, three young women even left kyiv on foot to join the Vatican, in search of European support to free their companions.

“We must not forget Olenivka”, a bombed prison where there were “at least five other formations than the Azov battalion” and on which Moscow does not leak any information, explains Iryna.

In Lviv, “my cousin took part in several of these gatherings”, she specifies.

In western Ukraine, the former journalist also recounts the “new plots” of a cemetery, covered with crosses “with a Ukrainian flag and a red and black flag”.

A sign that a soldier is buried there, and that the country probably has one more widow or orphan.

Many women are also victims of war.

On the road “among the refugees, most are women alone or with children,” says Iryna.

“In the solidarity WhatsApp groups for refugees, there are very few men too.

They stayed at the front.

Although she has not heard any testimony about the sexual violence suffered by the refugees, such as that of Elena in April, raped by two Russian soldiers, the former journalist admits that we talk less about "alerts on the trafficking in adolescents" than at the start of the war, while "the flow of migration remains continuous".

Like the others, these women grit their teeth, hold on, cry and wait for the end of the war.

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• World

• War in Ukraine

• Kyiv (Kyiv)

• Russia

• Testimony

• Violence against women