2023 SHORTLISTED

Olena Zelenska

First Lady of Ukraine

As the First Lady of Ukraine, she has undertaken a tremendous diplomatic effort to secure international support for Ukraine during the full-scale invasion and initiated a Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen to promote international dialogue and find solutions to humanitarian challenges through soft power, public diplomacy, and joint initiatives. Domestically, she has been advocating for mental health care and gender equality, initiated a range of necessary reforms including childcare nutrition reform in kindergarten and schools as well as brought societal and legislative attention to the topic of accessibility in public spaces and learning institutions.

Upon her initiative, Ukraine joined the Biarritz Partnership for Gender Equality, the government formed a special Accessibility Council with a work program focused on removing social and physical barriers in Ukrainian society.