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12 December 2024
Participants of the Women’s Resistance Movement Zla Mavka Shared Their Experience in an Interview with Ukraїner

Participants of the Women’s Resistance Movement Zla Mavka Shared Their Experience in an Interview with Ukraїner

The activists of the women’s resistance movement Zla Mavka shared their experiences in an interview with Ukraїner. Due to security concerns, their voices were altered, and their stories were visualized through animation. Despite these measures, their message remains clear and courageous: women can resist the occupation even under difficult circumstances.

Invisible but impactful—this is how one can describe the women’s activities of the Zla Mavka resistance movement, which emerged in Melitopol at the beginning of 2023 and has since spread across the occupied territories of Ukraine, from Donetsk to Crimea. While the activists cannot reveal their faces or names, they disseminate leaflets with messages of support, organize acts of civil resistance, and remind the occupying forces that their presence is temporary.

The interview focused on the daily risks the movement’s participants face and the strategies they use to counter the occupation authorities. The participants spoke about non-violent resistance tactics, including the distribution of informational leaflets, the organization of sabotage actions, and the maintenance of local community morale. The interviewer also addressed the psychological pressure the activists endure, the threat of imprisonment, and the occupiers’ attempts to infiltrate and expose the movement’s network. Particularly poignant were the stories of living in constant fear while simultaneously maintaining hope and belief in the common goal of liberating their hometowns and villages. The women shared that one of the most significant sources of support is knowing that people in the government-controlled areas of Ukraine remember them.

The activists emphasized the importance of unity on both sides of the front line. Ukrainians living in the occupied territories require not only liberation but also words of encouragement that remind them they are not alone in their struggle. These words serve as a bridge connecting them with those living in the free parts of Ukraine.

The Zla Mavka activists call on everyone to support their cause by writing letters of encouragement, spreading information about the movement’s activities, and raising awareness about their resistance in public discourse. Letters of support can be written at various locations in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and other cities where residents can express solidarity with the Zla Mavka activists. Here are the locations where letters can be written:

  • Kyiv: Alpaca, Ivan Franko Theater, Mystetskyi Arsenal, Pure Naive
  • Lviv: Respublika Sadu, RPM Society, Shum Group, Plav, Cafe-Vitalnya u Papi, Kaferynok, Kredens
  • Zaporizhzhia: AirFlow
  • Kharkiv: Nafta, Kaplychka

By supporting the Zla Mavka movement, Ukrainians demonstrate their unity and shared commitment to resistance and independence. Despite the risks and hardships, the courage and resilience of these women show that even under occupation, the human spirit cannot be subdued.

You can watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM3li3gLY3U