The impact of foreign assistance cuts on women’s rights and women-led organizations in Ukraine

In January 2026, the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group in Ukraine, co-chaired by UN Women, NGO Girls, and CARE Ukraine, assessed the evolving and cumulative effects of foreign assistance cuts on women’s organizations. This assessment builds on a rapid impact assessment conducted in February 2025 following the United States’ decision to reduce foreign assistance, allowing for a comparative review of how trends, risks, and sustainability challenges have developed over time.

The survey examined emerging risks, organizational coping strategies, and programmatic implications, with particular focus on whether women’s organizations can continue to deliver lifesaving and gender-responsive services. It also explored how reduced funding is shaping organizations’ ability to plan, retain staff, maintain operations, and respond to changing needs.

Findings from the 2025 period indicate that foreign assistance cuts had a substantial and widespread impact on the 108 women-led and women’s rights organizations in Ukraine that participated in the second round of the survey, affecting both the continuity of services and the longer-term sustainability of their work.