07 October, Geneva, Switzerland - More than 500 Ukrainian women refugees and internally displaced women are beginning a new learning journey to strengthen their digital skills, employability and economic security.

UNITAR officially launched “Strengthening Economic Security and Sustainable Livelihoods: Digital Upskilling and Reskilling for Ukrainian Women Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons”. The programme is implemented  with the support of the Government and People of Japan. The opening ceremony brought together participants and programme partners.

The programme takes participants from digital learning to practical application. During the first phase, more than 500 participants will study AI Fundamentals before choosing a specialization in either Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or AI Programming using Python.

Up to 75 participants will then continue to a virtual hackathon and workshop, with mentoring and collaborative problem-solving. Around 30 participants will present their projects or professional outputs to employers, companies, donors, investors and experts. 

H.E. Yo Osumi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, highlighted the broader importance of investing in women's skills and opportunities.

The opening ceremony also brought together representatives of Eukarya Inc., Pasona Group Inc., the Polish Japanese Academy of Information Technology and the Ukrainian Catholic University.

For Pasona Group, digital skills are increasingly linked to expanding career opportunities and future leadership potential. Addressing participants, Makiya Nambu, Director, Vice President and Executive Officer of Pasona Group, emphasized that developing AI and digital competencies can open new professional pathways while empowering individuals to become future leaders and contributors to the global economy.

Kenya Tamura, CEO and Founder of Eukarya Inc., also acknowledged the challenges that often accompany learning new skills. He encouraged participants to embrace continuous learning, noting that acquiring new capabilities can significantly shape and expand future opportunities.

The programme also focuses on putting skills into practice. Eliza Lipińska, Head of the Academy Development Projects Office at PJAIT, emphasized that this programme 

is not only about developing digital skills, mentoring and consultation with experts, but also putting those skills into practice, including the opportunity to develop and build their own business project.”

For women who have experienced displacement, these opportunities can also support confidence and independence. Olga Narushynska, Senior Lecturer at UCU, noted that 

for women who have had to leave their homes and rebuild their lives, these opportunities can also bring great independence and confidence in the future.”

Looking ahead, participants will have opportunities to develop practical outputs such as digital solutions, project concepts, portfolios, self-marketing strategies, or socially responsible business ideas. As Chisa Mikami, Head of the UNITAR Hiroshima Office, who served as the Master of the Ceremonies in the Opening, concluded that the programme has been designed to be practical and she hopes the participants will use it not only to learn new tools, but also to test ideas, build confidence, create work that they can show to others, and identify realistic next steps for their professional future.