About war and sex work with Zhanetta Matveyko, Lviv city, Ukraine

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.

ZHANETTA MATVEYKO (ЖАНЕТТА МАТВЕЙКО) – leader and paralegal of the sex workers’ community of CO «LEGALIFE-UKRAINE» in Lviv city.

Natalia Dorofeeva, CO “Legalife-Ukraine” (ND): Hello, Zhanetta! This is your first interview for our website, so let’s get to know each other. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your life before Legalife-Ukraine.

Zhanetta Matveyko: I was born in Lviv in 1966. My grandmother and mother took care of me. When my mother got married for the second time, my grandmother and I started living separately.

I didn’t have a normal relationship with my mother. At the age of 14, I “went out”: I ran away from home, looked for adventures, and hung out with much older boys. I was a child, completely immature. Like a sponge, I began to absorb everything the street had to offer. I fell madly in love. And at 15 and a half, I gave birth to a daughter.

This was the Soviet Union, and therefore, shock, discrimination and humiliation awaited me. They wanted to expel me from school. So in the eighth grade, having just given birth to my daughter, I took my exams as an external student.

I lived with the child’s father, whom I couldn’t marry because I was a minor. Meanwhile, our relationship was deteriorating. He was raised without a father, had been in prison several times, and his mother was an alcoholic. He brought all of this into our relationship. I was depressed, intimidated, and suffered psychological abuse. When my daughter was six months old, he was imprisoned again. I breathed a sigh of relief. I decided that I would no longer allow myself to be treated this way. I wanted comfort, to be accepted and loved, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

I filled the void of acceptance and love with something else. At almost 18, I started using injectable drugs: I tried it, liked it, and somehow became indifferent. It was easy, simple, accessible. I was the centre of attention, a young girl, very talkative, pretty. It was my way of protecting myself from pain. To buy drugs, I started stealing and cheating: I deceived foreigners, swindling them out of their money. Then I started providing sexual services.

At the same time, my grandmother was raising my daughter, whom I hardly ever saw. Then I went to prison. Again and again. And again... In total, I spent almost 10 years of my life behind bars.

At the same time, I became pregnant for the second time. In the seventh month of pregnancy, I gave birth to a boy weighing less than a kilogram. My son was saved, but even then I did not stop using drugs.

I always dreamed of living a sober and normal life, having a family, a home, a car, going on holiday, travelling, and so on. But I didn’t know how to achieve this. People told me, ‘Change your environment.’ I tried — I moved to other cities, but it didn’t work. I degraded myself, destroyed myself.

ND: How did you manage to overcome such a crisis? Who or what led you to the human rights movement?

Zhanetta: After undergoing rehabilitation in 2008, I saw the world differently. I returned to Lviv with a great desire to help people like me.

Instead, I got sick and ended up in hospital. I was diagnosed with stage 4 AIDS. I was in shock, in denial. But even then, I understood that no one could help me except God.

At the same time, I met Dmytro Tyhach (Дмитро Тигач), and he offered me a job as a social worker. Was I surprised? Very much so, because I had only dreamed of being useful to others, of being where I was needed. So I started working at the charitable organisation ‘100% Life Lviv’ in various areas — HIV, tuberculosis, substitution therapy, etc.

In 2021, I accepted Oleg Dymaretsky (Олег Димарецький) offer to work in a wonderful team with people living with drug addiction. Today, I am the head of the Western Resource Centre VOLNA-ZAKHID (ВОЛНА - ЗАХІД), and I am very grateful to be where I am.

But that wasn’t enough for me. I always wanted to protect women because I myself had experienced stigma and discrimination on numerous occasions. So I approached Natalia Isaieva, director of the CO «Legalife-Ukraine», with a proposal to head up an initiative group for sex workers (SWs) in Lviv. And that dream also came true. So for now I help SWs women and defend their rights. We hold meetings where women come to get useful information and just to socialise.

ND: Can you identify what attracts you most about working with the sex worker community?

Zhanetta: I am inspired by the faces of the women who come to our meetings and start smiling. When they overcome their problems, fears, and difficult psycho-emotional states, they begin to defend their rights, seek help from doctors, and so on.

ND: I wonder how your loved ones feel about your work and the changes in your life?

Zhanetta: My family supports me in everything. Currently, I have a wonderful husband with whom we work together and help those in need. I have a wonderful family and wonderful adult children. I have a wonderful grandson, and in general, my life is filled with joy and gratitude to God for changing everything for me. I believe that the best is yet to come.

Janetta: ‘I really love relaxing at the seaside. I also love driving out of town in my own car; that’s also how I relax. I also go to the gym, which inspires me and gives me strength.’

ND: You have been working with sex workers for about a year now. What changes have you observed in their lives due to the war?

Zhanetta: The war significantly increases the vulnerability of sex workers and changes their daily lives. Due to constant tension, feelings of danger and instability, women’s personal lives often become chaotic and unpredictable. Problems in families are exacerbated or new ones appear. Cases of divorce and relationship breakdowns due to distance or changing life circumstances are becoming more frequent. The level of domestic violence — physical, psychological and economic — is increasing.

Chronic stress and anxiety significantly worsening psychological problems. Most of them already suffer from a constant feeling of guilt or shame about their work, which is increased by social pressure.

Many women have lost their homes, partners and stable incomes, all of which leads to internal instability and a sense of defenselessness. Living in constant stress due to fatigue, fear, hunger, etc. leads to addiction (alcohol, psychoactive substances). As a result, their overall health deteriorates — weakened immunity, menstrual cycle disorders, sleep problems, exhaustion, etc.

ND: At the beginning of the war, there was a very active migration of sex workers in search of safe places to live. Now Lviv is considered one of the safest cities, accepting IDPs from the east and other regions of Ukraine. From your observations, what is happening now with those who left, are they returning home, or are they turning to you for support?

Zhanetta: There is general data that during the war in Ukraine, many people moved or were forced to leave their homes. As for women who provide sex services, in the first months of the war, many of them left abroad. On the other hand, there was a large influx of internally displaced women to Lviv, and many of them went into sex work due to lack of funds.

Now there is a noticeable trend towards the return of some of the sex workers to Ukraine. But I don’t have exact data on who has returned and who hasn’t. Many are returning in a state of severe physical and psychological exhaustion. Most of them talk about the difficulties they faced abroad — language barriers, loss of social connections, stigma surrounding their profession, and lack of access to medical services.

I try to support all women: I help them get tested for HIV, STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections), hepatitis, and help some to return to substitution therapy and/or antiretroviral therapy programmes. I help them restore their documents, obtain certificates, and settle in shelters for IDPs. In cases of violations of their rights, I record violations and provide legal advice. If necessary, I accompany them to state institutions to restore their rights and ensure they receive services.

I also try to create a safe space where women can speak freely. We hold group consultations with them on various topics of interest to women. I have noticed that after returning, they become more open to cooperation with organisations. Women seek advice more often and participate more actively in self-help groups. They begin to care more about their health.

A mutual aid group for sex workers in Lviv

ND: We know that the sex work market in Ukraine has changed significantly under the influence of the war. Shelling and curfews have forced many to find new ways to find clients and change their usual places of work, which are already dangerous. Please tell us what the sex services sector looks like in Lviv today. How do mobilisation and raids by the TCC affect the ability to provide sex services?

Zhanetta: Of course, the girls are afraid of rocket attacks and alarms, just like the rest of us. All of this affects their working conditions, safety and income. They are all in a high-risk zone. That is why many girls have moved online, where there is less risk of physical violence and persecution by the police and the TRSSC (TRSSC, or TCRS - Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center). With the internet, you can work from home, you don’t have to go out to a ‘spot’, which gives you more opportunities to remain anonymous and avoid stigma. Online sex workers try to work with trusted people or platforms. Most often, they use private video calls, photo and video content, chat services, etc.

But there are risks online too. The main ones are harassment, blackmail, and the leaking of photos and videos by clients, which can lead, and does lead, to criminal liability for creating and distributing pornography.

Some apartments, saunas, and salons where girls worked have closed. As for the streets, the number of clients has decreased significantly. Men are afraid to move around the city, avoiding places where there may be police patrols and the TRSSC. Sex workers also avoid meetings and communication with the TRSSC because there is a risk of being stopped, having their documents checked, and facing unlawful actions by law enforcement or the military. Although sex workers are not against working with the military, one woman once told me:

‘The military are more respectful because they have experienced stress themselves and want warmth. It’s easier to work with them, but it hurts when they stop contacting you — you never know what has happened to them.’

In other words, demand is falling, while competition among sex workers is growing. Many women are forced to look for new, often dangerous places to work. This makes their income unstable: today they may earn something, but tomorrow — nothing.  

Some girls go to the combat zone, where there is shelling every day. They risk their lives because many of them don’t have husbands, have children or elderly parents. There are many military men in the frontline cities, so there is demand there.

ND: What about society’s attitude towards sex work and sex workers? Do you feel any changes, positive or negative?

Zhanetta: I think so. Although stigma and discrimination have not disappeared, there are still changes. And from my perspective, some of the changes are evident in public attitudes, communications and media trends. There are positive developments, including greater visibility of the community, a stronger voice, and active work by organisations. On social media, there is an increasing amount of content from women themselves about rights, safety, human dignity, etc. And community support has become more accessible.

Meeting with gynecologist Lesya Ostapyuk on expanding access for women to medical services, in particular to diagnostics and testing for STIs and HIV

ND: Zhanetta, what needs do women come to you with and what help and services do you provide them as a community leader?

Zhanetta: The main request from my clients is to receive medical services without judgement or refusal. Women often ask to be accompanied to the hospital because of their experiences or fear of stigma and unlawful refusals. They all need medical care, which varies depending on their health status, chronic diseases or addictions. This includes access to a gynaecologist, therapist, dermatologist, consultations on STIs, HIV/hepatitis testing, ART (antiretroviral therapy) prescriptions for HIV-positive women and/or access to OST for women with drug addiction.

Women often need protection of their rights, as well as an adequate and timely response to violence from clients and partners. Most have faced a decreas in income and are forced to survive by choosing between food and medicine, utility bills and clothing. Humanitarian aid is what almost all sex workers who come to me need right now.

Humanitarian aid for women from CO «Legalife-Ukraine» in Lviv

On the one hand, every woman’s situation is different, but on the other hand, their needs are often very similar. For example, a woman named Olena (Олена), who is 32 years old and has been working as a sex worker for over 5 years, came to me. She moved to Lviv during the war. Before the war, Olena worked as a waitress and sometimes provided sex services to support her son and help her parents. On her way to Lviv, she lost her documents and had almost no money. In Lviv, she tried to find a job, but without documents and with a child, no one would hire her. Social benefits took a long time to process, so Olena returned to sex work to be able to rent a room and buy food. Out of fear, she stopped going to the doctors because she thought they would despise her again because of her profession. After a risky situation with a client, a friend brought her to us at Legalife Ukraine. We tried to support her as much as possible, and not just with words. We provided assistance in the form of food and hygiene products, helped her restore her documents, and helped her get tested for HIV and STIs. We solved her urgent problems, and I hope that we will not lose contact with her and that she will continue to attend our meetings, because we are always open.

So, my main task is to support female sex workers in crisis situations, to provide for their basic needs, to protect their right to health, so that they have a chance for stability and a safer life. In response to their requests, I conduct group and individual consultations on various topics that they themselves choose. Those who are most in need receive monthly humanitarian aid from the CO «Legalife-Ukraine». This year, we were able to provide women with food packages, personal hygiene products, bed linen, clothing, towels and other goods.

The initiative group of the CO «Legalife-Ukraine» in Lviv

ND: Zhanetta, I know that you are also a paralegal for the community. Can you tell us about one of the most recent cases in your practice that you remember most?

Zhanetta: I will tell you about a case that may not be the most difficult, but is a typical one. So, one of our women, let’s call her Tamara (Тамара), was returning home from work one day. The patrol police stopped her without explanation; curfew had not yet begun. The officers began asking intrusive questions about her activities and demanded to inspect her phone and handbag. Tamara called me, and I asked her to turn on the speakerphone. I asked the patrol officers why they had stopped the woman and, reminding them of their duties and the rules for communicating with citizens under Ukrainian law, pointed out that they were violating her rights. We did not talk for long, but as a result, the law enforcement officers apologised to the girl and let her go.

In other words, I want to emphasise once again that this is a typical violation of rights by the police. Such cases prove that we all need to know our rights and be able to defend them.

A working meeting with Lyudmila Storchak, coordinator of CO ‘VONA’ (БО "ВОНА"), on supporting women sex workers living with drug addiction

ND: Zhanetta, what organisations or institutions help you in solving the problems of sex workers? Are there any private individuals or business representatives among them?

Zhanetta: I work with many non-governmental human rights and HIV service organisations, including the CO ‘100% Life in Lviv’, the CO ‘Positive Women’, the CO ‘VONA’, and others. Thanks to our cooperation, we have established a network for referring women to receive legal and psychological support, friendly medical services for the prevention and treatment of HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, etc.

Regarding the second question, I don’t know if it is possible to negotiate with private entrepreneurs to help sex workers. It seems to me that business is completely uninterested in charity, especially for such marginalised groups as sex workers or women with drug addiction.

Working meeting with the acting director of the CO "100 percent of life in Lviv" Sofia Kushnir on measures to involve sex workers in HIV/TB services

ND: What do you hope for in the future that could make the lives of sex workers safer and better?

Zhanetta: I dream that women who provide sex services will live in safety in Ukraine, without fear or shame. That their health will always be a priority, not something they have to fight for every day. That everyone has access to medical care, legal protection, psychological support and opportunities to choose.

I hope for a society where sex workers are not humiliated, but seen as people with their own needs. A country where laws protect rather than punish. Where profession is not a reason for violence or discrimination. I want the voices of women who provide sex services to be heard. I want women to feel that they are not alone. That there are people around them who support them and fight for change together.

ND: Zhanetta, I am grateful to you for your candid conversation, and finally, I would like to ask you to give some advice to our novice activists.

Zhanetta: My advice is to start small, but with something that matters. Don’t take on the whole world at once. Choose one specific problem and take the first small but real step that will help at least one person.

Interview by Natalia Dorofeeva, CO “Legalife-Ukraine”