Iryna Dovgan

Iryna Dovgan was born in the town of Yasynovata, Donetsk oblast, Ukraine, into the family of a librarian and an engineer. After graduating from Donetsk University, she worked as an economist, accountant, design engineer, and as a cosmetologist, owning her own beauty salon.  

As a result of her work supporting the Ukrainian army, Iryna was arrested and detained, suffering serious forms of abuse, only to be forced to leave her hometown following her release with her family. Currently based in Kyiv, Iryna is still working to support Ukrainian prisoners of war. Since November 2018, she has been working as the national coordinator in the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence (SEMA) to represent Ukraine. In February 2019, Iryna began leading the Ukrainian survivor network. She has been engaged in numerous advocacy activities, including speaking at conferences and on panels, and participating in parliamentary round table discussions in Ukraine. Iryna is married and has two children and two grandchildren.