Decolonizing Resistance: Exploring the Narratives and Strategies of Female Ukrainian Activists in the Aftermath of the Russian Invasion

• In Event: Empathy versus Empire: How (Non)Understanding of Imperialism Shapes Discourses and Decisions in and about Ukraine, Europe, and Beyond

Abstract

The paper explores how female Ukrainian activists utilize decolonial vocabulary as a strategy to make sense of the war, mobilize subjectivities and navigate their collective resistance. Drawing upon 10-month multi-sited ethnography with Ukrainian female volunteers in Germany, the Netherlands and Ukraine, I seek to enhance understanding of colonial power relations beyond Eurocentric frameworks. Specifically, the paper examines the motivations of female volunteers who dedicate most of their time to supporting their homes and communities in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. Through interviews and feminist ethnography, I look at what stories (colored by what is often labeled as ‘nationalistic’ sentiments) Ukrainian volunteers tell themselves. Aditionally, I examine the role of social media, memes, and information dissemination in shaping the discourse on decolonial and anti-colonial understanding of Ukraine by Ukrainians.

Author

• Anastasiia Omelianiuk, Vrije U Amsterdam (Netherlands)