Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, urged the EU states to recognize the need to protect children’s rights as key. She highlighted that Ukraine is grateful for this, but at the same time, it’s not just Ukraine’s problem. Violation of rights sets a bad precedent for the whole world.
On her official Facebook account, Olena wrote, “If children of one country suffer, childhood as a phenomenon is in danger”. She emphasized that Children’s rights, like human rights, have no borders, and Ukraine is fighting for safety and equality for the entire world.
Zelenska added that one of the priorities of Ukraine is the transition to family forms of education. The state seeks to give a family to every child. This reform is essential for Ukraine because it is one of the obligations to the EU. Above all, this is a moral task if we want to have a healthy society.
She expressed that Ukraine needs information and practical support from all European countries. Ukraine’s first lady also discussed the concept of family education reform and the work plan of her project office at a meeting with Oksana Zholnovich, Minister of Social Policy, and a delegation of the European Union, which included Dubravka Schultz, Vice President of the European Commission, Camilla Walterssson Gronvall, Minister of Social Services of Sweden, and Eva Božena Kopac, Vice Speaker of the European Parliament, Pit Coordinator oh the rights of the child.
Speaking about the ongoing conflict, Zelenska remarked that Ukraine is fighting for home education in such conditions that no other country has done so: during the enemy invasion.
She commented that DBST is massively losing their housing, and it is challenging for them to move and look for a new place. But they must understand that there are hundreds of such families in Ukraine and abroad, where they ended up due to forced migration.
According to Ukrainian authorities, approximately 14,000 Ukrainian children have been taken by Russia. The Russians refer to it as evacuation and claim that removing youngsters to the country’s relative safety shields them from the risks of living in a combat zone daily.
Additionally, Ukraine accused Russia of abducting Ukrainian infants to eradicate Ukrainian culture from the planet. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia struck civilian areas repeatedly, killing non-military people and upsetting the nation’s family structure. Since February 24, 2022, Russian missile strikes have killed several parents and children.
Ukraine’s first lady emphasized that Ukrainians want to be parents, want to create families and take care of them. Despite the war and its trials, special training for this year passed 1945 foster candidates and another 1017 foster candidates. And between the foster parents and parents-parenting, 2574 passed a course raising educational potential.