Olena Shevchenko

Olena Olehivna Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Олена Олегівна Шевченко; born 1982) is a Ukrainian women's and LGBT rights activist. After working as a teacher, she co-founded the NGO Insight in 2007 to advocate for LGBT inclusiveness on feminist platforms. She started annual events including Women's Day March, Transgender Day of Remembrance and the Festival of Equality, to protest against discrimination against women and the LGBT community in Ukraine and in other former Soviet countries. Her opponents have repeatedly attacked her and her events. Shevchenko has also served as the co-chair of the LGBT Council of Ukraine, and was elected to the board of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO). She is on the boards of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association's European branch, and the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C). She is one of the most visible LGBT activists in Ukraine and, in 2021, her human rights work was recognized with the Human Rights Tulip from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2022, she was awarded the Prix international de la ville de Paris pour les droits des personnes LGBTI+ (International Prize of the City of Paris for the Rights of LGBTI+ people) in recognition of Insight's work.