About war and sex work in frontline city of Zaporizhia (Ukraine) with Roza Nugmanova

WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES OF INTERVIEWS ‘ABOUT WAR AND SEX WORK IN UKRAINE’ with our leaders and paralegals in 2026. Almost a year has passed since our last public conversation with our regional representatives, when we talked about the lives of Ukrainians, the fate of sex workers and the sphere of sex services in Ukraine during the war. This year, we return to this conversation to recall the events of four years of this war and analyse their impact on our community and society.

Roza Nugmanova is the leader of the sex workers’ community at the LEGALIFE-UKRAINE charitable organisation in Zaporizhia (Роза Нугманова, м. Запоріжжя)

Natalia Dorofeeva, CO “Legalife-Ukraine” (ND): Hello, Roza! This is your first interview for our website, so first tell us about yourself, your childhood, dreams and family.

Roza Nugmanova: I was born in the Republic of Tatarstan in the former USSR into a large family and was my parents’ seventh child. I went to secondary school. By the way, I really loved studying, and every day I set myself the goal of getting top marks in all subjects. I studied so hard and dreamed that after school I would continue my education.

But my parents were getting old and needed help. Therefore, I was forced to enter a vocational school to study sewing, even though I wasn’t really into it. My passion was detective stories: I devoured them, imagining myself as an investigator solving the most difficult mysteries.

Unfortunately, in 1990, with the beginning of so-called “Perestroika”, everything changed, and I had to grow up early. Without finishing school, I moved to Western Siberia, where I started my career at the age of 17. Work was not a burden for me, as I had been accustomed to working since childhood: I helped my elderly mother, who worked hard despite her illnesses.

All this time, I did not give up hope of getting an education — I dreamed of becoming a doctor or a lawyer. Unfortunately, I was unable to realise these plans at the time. I only obtained my secondary school certificate at the age of 43, but it was a first step. Later, I enrolled at a Ukrainian university to study social work and obtained a bachelor’s degree.

Today, I am happily married and raising three incredible children. My family is my greatest love and support. Unfortunately, the war has brought many problems, constant anxiety and exhaustion, and family life is not so smooth. My husband lost his job, my children are studying remotely, and because the lights are turned off, their education suffers. All of this makes me constantly worried.

But I have loved ones and friends whom I sincerely appreciate and whose support gives me strength in these times.

ND: How else do you recharge your batteries? Do you have any favourite activities or hobbies that help you relax your soul?

Roza: I really love delicious food, so I constantly watch video recipes for healthy and quick-to-prepare dishes. Then I try to recreate them in my own kitchen. I also often cook dishes from my native Tatar cuisine — it brings back a feeling of home and peace.

Unfortunately, I don’t have much free time, but my main ‘place of strength’ remains our dacha, where my family and I relax in peace and quiet. I like to look at the sky at night and watch the stars — they are like little lanterns to me. It is there, in nature, that I recharge my batteries.

Mutual aid group for sex workers, Zaporizhia, 2025

ND: Roza, why did you decide to focus specifically on helping sex workers (SWs)? How did you first become get to know our community and organisation?

Roza: My journey in the field of combating HIV infection began back in 2003 with providing consultations on living with a positive HIV status. Since 2005, at the CO "Network 100% Life. Zaporizhia" (БО «Мережа 100% життя. Запоріжжя»), I have been helping patients develop adherence to treatment for HIV, viral hepatitis, and substitution maintenance therapy (SMT).

I learned about the CO “Legalife-Ukraine” from the regional representative of the CO “VOLNA” («ВОЛНА») in Zaporizhia region. She told me that there was an organisation that systematically supported sex workers.

At that time, I was running self-help groups for women living with drug addiction (IDUs - Injecting drug users), and among the participants I met a girl who was involved in sex work. She shared that there were many such women and that they needed support. I suggested inviting them to the next meeting, especially since our organisation was distributing food packages to vulnerable groups at the time.

That is how I got acquainted with the sex worker community. The girls talked about their experiences, the numerous problems and discrimination they face. I already knew many of them from the ZPT website.

I began actively help them: I organised free testing for hepatitis B and C, assisted in obtaining treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). I also referred the girls to our organisation’s lawyer to protect their rights and to friendly gynaecologists who have experience working with key communities.

ND: What impresses or inspires you most about working with our community?

Roza: I like our meetings with the girls. They are all very sincere, caring and concerned about each other. When I provide humanitarian aid, they always ask if this or that friend has received it, or if I have forgotten to invite anyone. It’s a special kind of girlly care that they have.

ND: How did your loved ones react to the fact that you would be defending the rights of sex workers?

Roza: My loved ones understand that I am helping people. I explained to them that everyone has the right to protection and support, because every person is, first and foremost, an individual.

Group consultation on safety and protection for sex workers, Zaporizhzhia, 2025

ND: The war has changed the lives of all Ukrainians, but key communities often find themselves in an even more vulnerable position. How do sex workers in Zaporizhzhia live and work now?

Roza: The war has radically changed the lives of girls. Many have left the country in search of safety for themselves and their families. Those who remained in Zaporizhzhia found that it was impossible to work as before. Even online work has become a challenge: due to constant shelling and power cuts, it is extremely difficult to maintain a stable internet connection, and the alarms disrupt the work rhythm.

The service market has also undergone significant changes. The number of civilian clients has decreased significantly, as many men have been mobilised. Today, a significant portion of those who can afford the services of sex workers are military personnel.

Some continue to provide sex services, but mainly only to trusted acquaintances.

Many girls have been forced to leave this field altogether. Now they are trying to find work in other industries. I actively help them with this through the Employment Centre and support them in finding new opportunities. Recently, a woman who was looking for any job in her area approached me. Unfortunately, she was rejected everywhere because she belonged to a vulnerable group. She was in complete despair. I suggested she contact the Employment Centre. Since I have been working with a specific specialist at the Centre for over five years, I personally called her and asked for help in finding a job for our client. The Employment Centre employee worked very quickly and found a suitable option. Now the client is successfully working according to a schedule that suits her perfectly and is raising her teenage son.

ND: Roza, I know that the situation in Zaporizhia is critical and that you encounter painful stories every day. Tell us more about the social and psychological pressure that sex workers experience in this frontline city. What requests and complaints do girls most often come to you with?

One of the most painful issues today is the rapid decline in economic opportunities and the growth of poverty, which has a distinctly female face. Sex workers have seen a significant decrease in the number of clients, so girls complain that they are forced to work for literally pennies just to survive.

At the same time, prices for food and clothing are constantly rising. Previously, girls could at least afford second-hand clothes, but now some do not even have enough money to top up their mobile phones. Due to constant anxiety and shelling, everyone is in a state of chronic stress. Everyone is so exhausted that they feel completely helpless.

This financial gap is exacerbated by family circumstances: many girls’ husbands are hiding from the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TR and SSC), which means that the entire burden of supporting the family falls solely on women’s shoulders. Women have to work much harder than before to feed their children and loved ones. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find work, as clients are also avoiding unnecessary trips into the city due to mobilisation measures. It is a vicious circle that is putting more and more pressure on women every day. Many women want to leave the country, but hesitate after hearing about the difficulties of life in exile. Some cannot leave the city because they have sick parents or relatives who need care.

Providing individual counselling to sex workers, Zaporizhzhia, 2025

The problem of violence is growing. Today, sex workers are more likely than others to encounter violence while providing services. Girls also often suffer from violence in their own families. One of my clients’ relatives found out that she was in the Opioid substitution therapy (OST) programme and was engaged in sex work. After that, she was kicked out of her home and forbidden from seeing her seriously ill mother. The woman suffered incredibly. She lived with an acquaintance for several days, who began to humiliate her and demand money and methadone every day. I offered her a safe place where she could rest and recover. I am currently helping her to renew her passport, she is working with a psychologist and plans to go abroad.

Unfortunately, however, only a few victims of violence seek help. Most suffer alone, seeing no other way out, and some even consider it normal — saying that the main thing is that they are alive.

Problems with addiction — alcohol and drugs — are also becoming more acute. This often leads to conflicts with social services and the risk of children being removed from the family. I was approached by a woman whose child had been taken away after the mother fell into a drug-induced coma. The five-year-old child was left alone in the flat for more than two days. Fortunately, the older daughter came and called an ambulance. The medics notified the police: the woman was hospitalised and the child was temporarily placed in a foster family. When this woman came to me, she was crying constantly and did not know where her child was. It turned out that instead of money, the client “treated” her with salts, which made her faint. I helped her find out where her child was, contacted the child welfare service and accompanied the woman to a meeting with social workers. They explained to her that she had not been deprived of her parental rights, but had to find a job and get her home in order. She is now working on these issues and is in constant contact with her child.

Humanitarian support from CO “Legalife-Ukraine” in Zaporizhzhia, 2025

ND: Roza, tell us more about the systematic assistance and services you offer women in our community every day. How exactly do you help them overcome medical, legal and everyday difficulties?

Rosa: As a leader, I strive to help every woman who comes to me.

In fact, the range of assistance is very wide, and it is not just a one-time action, but a support system where we try to fill all the gaps: from medicine to legal security.

First of all, it is health care. I help girls enrol in a Substitution Maintenance Therapy (SMT) programme. Many are afraid to go to medical facilities on their own, so I accompany them personally. Thanks to my close cooperation with narcologists and the absence of queues in our region, the girls receive treatment without barriers and free of charge.

Also, thanks to my established cooperation with the region’s chief infectious disease specialist, I help girls undergo free examinations and receive treatment for viral hepatitis B and C. In addition, I accompany them to our partner HIV testing and to receive preventive measures.

Secondly, there is legal and social assistance. When girls encounter violence, theft or illegal activities, I refer them to lawyers from our organisation or a partner organisation. I also help them to find work and recover lost documents, such as passports, which is the first step towards returning to the legal sphere. In cases where a girl finds herself on the street or in danger, I look for opportunities for safe shelter. My task is not just to listen, but to provide a specific tool or resource that will help a person get out of a crisis.

Thirdly, there is the humanitarian aspect. We support women with food, hygiene kits, clothing, etc. The girls always look forward to this, because in the current conditions, such support is critical for survival, and they are genuinely pleased to receive such care.

Humanitarian aid to SWs from the CO “Legalife-Ukraine” in Zaporizhzhia, 2025

But perhaps most importantly, it is creating a safe space, whether that space is a self-help group or a temporary shelter for those who have been kicked out of their homes or those fleeing domestic violence. I try to be there to help the girls find a way out of their situations.

Almost every week, I hold group sessions on a wide variety of topics: safety during war, access to free medical care, women’s health, and applying for government services. The girls enjoy these meetings because they not only gain new knowledge, but also have a space for communication and mutual support.

ND: Obviously, it is difficult to do this work on your own. Which partner organisations do you work with in Zaporizhzhia to provide the girls with comprehensive support and access to all necessary services?

Roza: I am grateful to all our partners who have become a real support for us.

The charitable organisation ‘Network 100% Life. Zaporizhzhia’ not only provides a cosy space for our self-help groups, but also provides girls with professional legal advice when they find themselves in a hopeless situation.

Thanks to the team of CO “Positive Women. Zaporizhzhia” (БО «Позитивні жінки. Запоріжжя»), our girls can undergo a free gynecological examination and receive the necessary treatment, feeling respected and cared for. We also closely cooperate with the CO “Hope” (БО «Сподівання»), in particular with the employees of the syringe exchange points (SEP), which is critically important for the safety of the community.

And thanks to the CF ‘On the Wings of Hope. Zaporizhzhia’ (БФ «На крилах надії. Запоріжжя»), we are able to support the girls with humanitarian aid. Each package is more than just food; it is a sign that they are remembered.

Working meeting on expanding access to services for sex workers with Iryna Doroshenko, Chair of the Board of the charitable organisation ‘100% Life Zaporizhzhia’

ND: Do you think it is realistic today to attract assistance for sex workers from private individuals, local entrepreneurs or businesses? Is the private sector ready to support such a complex issue?

Roza: In my opinion, it is almost impossible today. The main obstacle is the deep stigma and discrimination that still prevail in our society towards sex workers.

Despite all the common difficulties and terrible challenges of war, attitudes towards the community are changing extremely slowly. Businesses and private patrons usually seek to help ‘popular’ or socially acceptable groups, while sex workers still face harsh condemnation. This prejudice only increases their vulnerability and significantly complicates their already difficult path.

ND: Roza, what is the main advice you would give to novice activists who are just starting out on their journey to help vulnerable communities?

Roza: First of all, don’t be afraid to work with sex workers. These girls, like no one else, need our sincere attention, understanding and support. The main rule is to never judge. On the contrary, we must become their guides: inform them about their rights, teach them to protect themselves, and confidently direct them to trusted organisations and municipal institutions where they can receive professional help. Your openness and lack of prejudice are what will help these girls come out of the shadows and feel protected.

ND: Rosa, thank you for this candid conversation. Finally, what are your hopes for the future, what could make the lives of sex workers safer and better?

Rosa: I sincerely believe that the key to change is awareness — when every woman knows her rights and responsibilities, she becomes stronger. I hope that girls will be able to find their inner resources, because each of them has enormous potential that just needs to be helped to unfold.

And, of course, my greatest hope is that the war will end soon. A peaceful sky will allow us not just to survive, but to build a future where human dignity comes first and safety is guaranteed for everyone, regardless of their type of activity.

Interview by Natalia Dorofeeva, CO “Legalife-Ukraine