Stigma, lack of resources and the belief that "I have to cope on my own" - these factors make women ignore their own needs for years. But support is becoming a vital necessity for Ukrainian women raising children during the war. To give women a space to support and care for themselves, the Lada Mothers' Generation implemented the Between Us project. Within its framework, 80 women - pregnant women and mothers with children - received individual and group psychological counselling. Half of them sought such support for the first time in their lives.

Women living in the difficult realities of war, raising a child without a partner, having IDP status, being wives of military personnel, or working in healthcare and rescue services took part in the project.

"For many women, participation in the project was their first experience of psychological assistance. This is a great manifestation of trust in the organisation and the team. That is why it was important for us to create a new behavioural norm for women: to ask for support, talk about emotions, and take care of themselves. This experience should become part of the systemic support for women across the country," says Maryna Marchenko, co-founder and head of the Lada Mothers' Generation.

Due to stigma, lack of experience, difficulties in finding a specialist or lack of money, many women do not seek psychological help. But at the same time, they need it. Of all the women who applied to participate, 25% had suicidal thoughts or had already experienced suicide attempts.

With the support of qualified psychologists familiar with the context of war, 90% of the participants reported an improvement in their emotional state after the project. For 55%, this experience was enough to close their request and continue to maintain their mental health thanks to the self-regulation techniques they learned during the project. The remaining majority expressed their intention to continue working with specialists.

"I used to not believe that a psychologist could change anything. But these sessions gave me a breath of fresh air - I became a calmer mum," said one of the participants.

The successful implementation of the initiative in Kyiv confirmed the relevance and effectiveness of the approach. That's why the project has already received funding for a new wave - with the opportunity to reach women in different regions of Ukraine.

"The feedback from our participants, the number of requests, the inclusion of women in the process - all this proved the need for systematic support and expansion of the project's geography. That is why we are launching the second wave of the project soon. It will be based on individual consultations only. Both new participants and those who have already been with us will be able to apply," sums up Vitalina Nagorna, Programme Director of Lada Mothers' Generation.

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This project was made possible by the support of the UK Government through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Commonwealth Affairs and Development of the United Kingdom as part of the Women. Peace. Security: Acting Together", implemented by the Ukrainian Women's Fund. The information presented within the project does not necessarily reflect the views of the UK Government, the Ukrainian Women's Fund and the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy.