“Mutual support has become a tool for survival”, Hanna Prodanchuk, Chernivtsi 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.

HANNA PRODANCHUK (Ганна Проданчук) — leader of the sex workers community of CO “Legalife-Ukraine” in Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Natalia Dorofeeva, CO “Legalife-Ukraine” (ND): Hello, Hanna! Almost a year has passed since our last interview with you. To summarize this period: what are the main changes in your personal life and what achievements are you proud of this year?

Hanna: Yes, it’s true, time flies very quickly. If we talk about everyday life, then perhaps the biggest change is a certain stabilization of the work schedule - as much as possible in our conditions. My working day as a paralegal and leader has become better organized. I try to divide time for helping the community and time for recovery, although it is always a challenge. Also I began to pay more attention to my health and psycho-emotional state, because physical exhaustion prevents me from helping others in a quality way.

During this year, I completed two intensive training courses on the basics of paralegal assistance and participated in the “Academy of Paralegals” («Академія параюристок»). In addition, I deepened my knowledge in the field of family and medical law, in particular, combating gender-based and domestic violence. This area required emotional resilience and deep immersion, but now I have specific tools to help those in need - this is my contribution to community safety.

Participants in the Academy for Paralegals

ND: Your personal changes probably reflect the changes in your initiative group? If you look back, what common path of transformation have you gone through from the beginning of the invasion to this day?

Hanna: Over the four years of war, our initiative group has experienced a profound transformation. Although Chernivtsi is a city in the rear of the front line, at the beginning of the war we felt a strong blow: many of our girls went abroad. But in their place came new people - those who right now acutely felt how important it is to have their own community and protection.

Currently, the core of the group is united and motivated. We are focused on safety, immediate medical, humanitarian and paralegal assistance, but most importantly - on human support.

Mutual support has become an important tool for survival. Now it is not just friendly conversations, but systematic peer-to-peer psychosocial assistance aimed at counteracting anxiety and burnout.

Our women have changed incredibly. They have become more responsible, more sensitive to each other, confidently defend not only their rights, but also the rights of others, counteracting stigma and discrimination. Some have found new jobs, some have become consultants themselves and are now helping others to overcome violence.

The war has undoubtedly affected the partnership landscape. Partnership has become different - deeper. Coalitions of women’s organizations, the community of women with HIV, drug addiction and LGBTIQ+ activists are now working together, implementing comprehensive advocacy for rights and providing assistance to women.

Our joint 2025 project "Safe Space" ("Безпечний простір") is about real care. This is a place where a mother can receive help, knowing that her child is safe and warm: while the mother works, or receives consultations or ART/SMT (antiretroviral therapy / substitution maintenance therapy) medications, the children are supervised and engaged with caregivers.

We are also constantly in touch with medical and social services so that every woman, especially among IDPs, receives her payments or medications on time.

Creative workshop for children in the "Safe Space for Women"

ND: Speaking of the broader context: do you notice changes in how Ukrainian society now perceives sex workers and other vulnerable groups? Is this reflected in the Ukrainian media, social networks?

Hanna: The fourth year of a full-scale war has brought noticeable, often contradictory changes to society. Mutual aid is preserved, but it is becoming selective, due to growing fatigue, emotional exhaustion, irritation and the search for "culprits" in uncontrollable economic problems and mobilization measures.

Unfortunately, society’s attitude towards sex workers and other vulnerable groups remains predominantly negative. Moreover, this pressure is now intensifying: general aggression and frustration are looking for a way out, and we are becoming an easy target for this social pain.

In the media and public spaces, the stigma surrounding sex work is high, sometimes hidden. In social networks, comments, groups, the level of hate, in my opinion, has increased. We face a negative reaction, both in real life and online, especially when we declare our needs or rights. This hate provokes secondary traumatization of the community, undermines motivation and leads to emotional burnout. We often hear “untimely” or direct accusations of “immorality”, we receive refusals from medical institutions after disclosing our status, etc.

In response, we try to respond consciously and professionally: we conduct group consultations on self-development and psychological resilience, we learn to defend our rights, we record cases of violations in the DataCheck system. We do everything to move from responding to a single incident to comprehensive advocacy for the rights of our beneficiaries.

The public position of the organization is also influential, our active communication in social networks and the media, aimed at debunking myths and demonstrating the values ​​of the community. We do not enter into an argument, but try to respond with facts, transparency and dignity.

Training for regional leaders of CO “Legalife Ukraine” on strengthening the role of communities in the National and regional councils for coordinating actions in response to the spread of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS

ND: If we look deeper into these four years: how has the landscape of sex work in your city changed - both in terms of locations and in terms of the composition of girls, in particular among IDPs or new people in the field?

Hanna: The war has radically changed the sex work market. The sex work market in the rear city of Chernivtsi has its own specifics, which sharply distinguishes it from front-line or large hub cities. The main influence here is mobilization and significant population rotation.

In early 2022, the situation was critical and unpredictable. A significant proportion of sex workers left the country due to security risks. Incomes fell sharply, and competition intensified due to the increase in the number of IDP women who entered sex work due to economic hardship and uncertainty.

A small technologically advanced part was able to adapt by moving to the online segment (webcams, OnlyFans). This allows you to work from anywhere and provides a higher level of security, but requires new skills and investments in equipment.

The most vulnerable are those women and men who are used to working “the old way”, through small local networks. People have not been able to go online due to lack of money, knowledge or access to resources. These were facing the greatest difficulties and for now remain in the most vulnerable position, where competition is high and the client base is unstable.

Reflecting the general demographic and economic shocks caused by the war, the market has undergone another critical change. Due to mobilization, there has been a significant outflow of working-age civilian male population. This has led to a sharp reduction in the solvent client base.

ND: Are women able to cover their basic needs with such a significant decrease in the solvency of clients? What other factors affect women’s safety and what compromises with their own health or their own borders do they have to make just to survive?

Hanna: The demand for services has become uneven and depends on military rotations. Sex workers in Chernivtsi suffer from a lack of clients, which leads to increased internal competition and a drop in prices.

The client’s profile has become less solvent, more unstable and risky. Due to general social tension, the risk of dangerous behavior among clients is also increasing, and demands and aggression on their part have increased.

Sex workers’ incomes are experiencing serious inflationary devaluation. Before the war, earnings were relatively stable and allowed our girls to cover rent and basic needs. At the beginning of 2022, incomes collapsed, and it was a shock. Now the situation is even worse and more insidious: if before the war a person could earn enough to rent an apartment in 3-4 days, now, due to the fall in prices for services and the increase in the cost of rent, they need to work for 7-10 days.

The fall in income and the urgent need to pay rent or buy medicine for a child, etc., force them to engage in risky behavior or serve dangerous or suspicious clients, whom they previously avoided because they paid more for it. Girls often consciously take risks, agree to have sex without protection, go to work more often and work longer.

Along with this, there is still high pressure from law enforcement agencies. Sex workers continue to be used as an “easy target” for performance indicators, despite wartime. And general aggression in society often spills over into sex work—prejudice, discrimination, which also threatens the survival of sex workers. As a result, economic vulnerability directly negates people’s right to health and safety.

Humanitarian assistance to sex workers from the CO “Legalife Ukraine” in Chernivtsi, 2025

ND: Hanna, please tell us how the community’s needs for our services have changed over the past four years? What requests from sex workers are relevant now and what services do you provide in response?

Hanna: Over the four years of war, the community’s needs have evolved: from shock survival in early 2022 to systemic care and support for psychosocial resilience today. In the face of a protracted economic crisis and stigma, our priority remains basic security, restoring women’s sense of dignity, and assistance in social integration.

The war has made the community’s economic and psychological vulnerability critical. In response to these needs, I try to provide comprehensive and multi-vector assistance. I conduct group and individual counseling focused on critical topics of security, health, combating violence, etc. We regularly, at least once a month, hold self-help groups. In the groups, sex workers openly share both negative and positive experiences, support and learn from each other. This helps to reduce self-stigma and increases feeling of solidarity of the women’s circle.

Also, every month, the community receives vital humanitarian aid from the CO “Legalife Ukraine”: food and hygiene kits, warm clothes, power banks, lanterns, blankets, etc.

And thanks to the joint project "Safe Space for Women and Children", which I have already talked about, mothers finally got the opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief. While mothers receive crisis support or consultations with a psychologist, their little ones are in the caring hands of educators. This is not just supervision: children are engaged in art therapy, creative workshops, and developmental games that help them distract themselves from anxieties. This gives women precious time to visit a doctor, to renew their documents, or resolve other urgent matters without unnecessary worries.

Humanitarian assistance to sex workers from CO “Legalife Ukraine” in Chernivtsi, 2025

ND: You repeatedly mention discrimination and violations of the rights of sex workers. Where exactly are these problems most acute? What specific cases you most often working with?

Hanna: The war has really exacerbated the problem of rights violations and discrimination. Today, sex workers face multiple stigmas: they can simultaneously be women, IDPs, and representatives of groups vulnerable to HIV. This creates a real wall in those places where people are most dependent on public services.

This most often happens in the medical field. Discrimination in medical institutions often turns into open aggression. We see not just bias, but a systematic reluctance to provide quality care. This manifests itself in moral pressure, derogatory remarks and, most dangerously, in the violation of medical confidentiality and the disclosure of confidential health information. At the heart of this lies a deeply rooted stigma of medical personnel, which becomes an insurmountable barrier to the basic right to health.

The situation in the law enforcement system is no less critical. The police often refuse to see a sex worker as a person in need of protection. Even in cases of violence, girls are perceived not as the injured party, but as automatic "offenders". Such stigmatization leads to the fact that crimes go unpunished, and aggressors feel complete permissiveness.

The social and domestic spheres are also permeated with discrimination. This is evident in the "football" between offices when trying to apply for benefits or obtain an IDP certificate. And in the real estate market we see blatant segregation: women are denied housing simply because of prejudices about their lifestyle or social status. All these factors create an environment where the right to safety and dignity for our women becomes almost unattainable without professional paralegal support.

ND: Could you recall a specific case from your practice — perhaps a particularly difficult one or, conversely, one that ended in a small victory — that best illustrates the work of a paralegal today?

Hanna: Ok. For example this one. A woman came to us with a critical need for hospitalization. Upon arriving at the department, the woman did not hide her social status. After the examination, the doctor on duty, humiliating her with expressions like: "it’s your fault" and referring to the alleged "lack of places," refused hospitalization. In fact, it was a matter of discrimination based on the woman’s social status.

My response was based on initial counseling, support, and the use of legal levers to protect the woman’s right to medical care. We took advantage of the requirement to provide a written refusal of hospitalization with an official reason. This step is mandatory for further appeal of the violation in administrative proceedings.

Realizing the consequences and the risk of recording the fact of discrimination, the doctor immediately hospitalized the woman and began treatment. Rapid paralegal intervention and the legal literacy of the client, who was explained her rights, helped to overcome stigma and discrimination. We not only provided the woman with emergency treatment, but also explained the algorithm of actions and appeals for the future, provided hotline contacts so that the client knew how to act in similar situations.

Such a typical case proves that knowing your rights and perseverance are the best protection against discrimination in any area of ​​life.

Opening of the "Safe Space for Women of Key Groups" in cooperation with the CO CF "Positive Women" and the All-Ukrainian Association of Drug-Addicted Women "VONA", Chernivtsi, 2025

ND: Despite all the difficulties and stigma that you mentioned, do you manage to find common ground with the state? How has your interaction with the authorities, social services, medical and other institutions of Chernivtsi changed during the war?

Hanna: Relationships with state bodies and medical institutions are actually necessary and strategically important. Especially during the war, when this cooperation is key to ensuring the rights and survival of our clients.

Over the years, we have established close cooperation with social and medical institutions, regularly cooperating to promptly restore documents, temporarily settle SWs from among IDPs in crisis centers, we process social payments and assistance in cases of gender-based and domestic violence.

Cooperation with HIV service organizations and the Regional AIDS Center is effective. Together, we do everything to ensure that women have continuous access to quality medicine and vital medicines — ART, PrEP or PEP.

When the situation requires serious legal intervention, we refer complex cases to the Free Legal Aid (FLA) system, where our clients receive professional legal support.

Such interaction allows us to break through bureaucratic walls to protect every woman’s rights to health and safety, even in wartime.

ND: It’s nice to hear that it is the public sector that makes the system work faster. Who are your key allies in the non-governmental sector, with whom you are joining forces? What partnerships allow projects like “Safe Space” to be implemented?

Hanna: As the leader of the initiative group, I am convinced that effective protection of the rights of sex workers is impossible without a wide network of like-minded people. We have built a system where each organization strengthens the other, and the client receives comprehensive assistance in one circle. We don’t just provide services — we accompany the woman at every stage of her request.

Collaboration with HIV service organizations provides a vital medical component of the work. Together with the CO “100% Life. Chernivtsi” (БО «100% Життя. Чернівці») and the CF “Positive Women. Chernivtsi” (БФ «Позитивні жінки. Чернівці»), we guarantee women continuity of treatment: from testing for HIV, hepatitis and STIs to support in obtaining ART and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

We also actively work with the NGO “Insight. Chernivtsi” (ГО «Інсайт. Чернівці») on issues of gender equality and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. This is critically important for supporting transgender people in our group, as they face double stigma. Together we fight against any manifestations of gender-based discrimination.

Our partnerships with women’s organizations in the region have long since grown into true friendships. This allows us to combine resources and advocacy efforts so that our common voice is louder.

This network is our main strength in times of war. We operate on the principle of complete openness so that no person who turns to us is left without help.

Participation in the Women’s March action together with NGO "Insight" and NGO "Alliance.Global", Chernivtsi, 2025

ND: Hanna, I want to thank you for the frank conversation. And finally, I would like to ask if you have any advice for novice activists who are just planning to join in helping vulnerable communities?

Hanna: Solidarity, resilience and systematicity.

Our most effective weapon is community. Establish horizontal connections with other activists, leaders, paralegals and friendly organizations. It is easier to solve a problem with a support network nearby, and solidarity protects us from burnout and amplifies our voice.

Activism during war is a marathon. We work with a high level of trauma, stigma and aggression, so taking care of yourself is not a luxury, but a professional requirement. See a psychologist regularly, use grounding techniques, take a “quiet day” every month to recover. If you “burn out,” you will not be able to help anyone.

Turn emotion and trauma into response and systemic change. Do not let indignation at injustice remain just an emotion. One complaint may be ignored, but a hundred documented requests and complaints become a tool that forces the authorities and institutions to react.

Be brave in defending your rights and wise in preserving your own resource. Glory to Ukraine!

Interview by Natalia Dorofeeva, CO “Legalife-Ukraine”