The Second Frontline in Ukraine: How Masha Foundation Helps Women and Children Heal Amid War

As the war in Ukraine drags into its fourth year, the heaviest toll often goes unseen. It doesn’t appear in headlines or battlefield footage but it shows up in sleepless nights, paralyzed bodies, and anxious minds. Women and children, in particular, bear an invisible weight that can manifest as chronic fear, exhaustion, or an inability to care for themselves and their families.

The Ukrainian organization Masha Foundation, winner of the IGEP 2025 award, works to address this quiet crisis. Its founders describe how, even now, they see the same vacant look on the faces of women and children, a look shaped by months or even years of survival under relentless stress. Their mission starts with a deceptively simple goal: to restore the sense that life can go on.

In just a few years, Masha Foundation has become one of Ukraine’s leading organizations for psychosocial recovery among women and children. It tackles the consequences of war in places that often go unnoticed and in the minds of those affected. The work is slow and painstaking but essential, beginning with the simple act of letting someone breathe in peace for the first time in months.

"In war, women often carry multiple roles at once. They maintain daily life, care for children and the elderly, mourn loved ones, navigate displacement and uncertainty, and often without a safety net. Women are also uniquely exposed to certain risks and forms of violence that often go unspoken. Amid all this, their own suffering is easily overlooked," says founder Mariia Yefrosinina.

From Activism to the Frontline of Mental Health

Masha Foundation was founded in 2020 by Yefrosinina, a TV host and social activist, and Oksana Nechyporenko. Initially, it focused on preventing violence against women and fostering a “zero tolerance” culture in Ukrainian society.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the organization quickly pivoted. Violence, trauma, and psychological strain were now affecting nearly every Ukrainian family. Since then, Masha Foundation has focused on the mental recovery of women and children affected by war. The founders stress that the true cost of war does not remain on the frontlines but that it permeates homes, minds, and daily life.

"This is about Ukraine’s future. If women cannot recover, families and communities will struggle to rebuild, and the country as a whole cannot heal," emphasizes Nechyporenko.

The founders’ backgrounds give the organization a unique voice. Yefrosinina is one of Ukraine’s most recognized media figures and a long-time advocate for women’s rights, bringing visibility and credibility to anti-violence work. Nechyporenko has a strong background in civil society and government, having led NGOs and served as chief of staff to the Ukrainian Prime Minister. Both founders bring personal motivation and professional expertise to the mission.

“Unbreakable Mom” – A Lifeline for Women and Children

Masha Foundation’s flagship wartime program, Unbreakable Mom, is a three-week psychosocial rehabilitation course for women and their children. The program combines trauma therapy, peer support, child-focused care, and rebuilding daily life in a safe environment.

"Many participants arrive in survival mode, exhausted and withdrawn. Gradually, routines return. Some laugh for the first time in months. Some sleep through the night without jolting awake. Some say aloud that they want to live. These are the moments that make our work meaningful," says Yefrosinina.

Since the early days of the war, hundreds of women and children have taken part. For many, the turning point comes when the constant state of emergency eases and they realize life can be more than mere survival.

Masha Foundation also supports teenagers through a separate program combining self-defense training with psychological support, especially for young girls whose daily lives have already been disrupted by war and violence.

Recognition and Support: A Signal to Europe

The International Gender Equality Prize 2025 award brings more than funding. It also sends a symbolic message. As the war drags on, international support is waning, and mental health services are often the first to be cut. The award ensures that critical programs like Masha Foundation’s can continue and expand when the need is greatest.

"The award is a remarkable sign of solidarity and support from Finland. It shows us that we are still seen, still remembered, and still understood," says Nechyporenko.

Yefrosinina adds a reminder for Europe:

"The war in Ukraine will not end simply when the fighting stops. Trauma, broken families, children’s suffering, and the long shadow of displacement will shape Europe’s future for decades. Supporting the recovery of Ukrainian women and children is also about Europe’s stability and its human future."