Last month, Manor College hosted the Ukrainian Dialogue with speakers U.S. Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, a member of the Ukrainian Caucus, and Myroslava Gongadze, Chief of the Ukrainian Service at Voice of America.

Dean and Gongadze spoke to a full house on the subject of “Emerging Women in Politics in, of, and for Ukraine,” both relying on their wide-ranging knowledge in the field to lead the conversation.

Gongadze started the discussion by explaining how women can find themselves in politics.

“Sometimes it takes a tragic life experience and a lot of courage to find one’s voice,” she said.

Gongadze’s journalist husband was murdered in 2000 after uncovering corruption in the Ukrainian government. This tragic event propelled his wife into the spotlight.

“I made the decision to speak up,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dean emphasized the importance of including women in politics.

“When you put women at the table, it changes the conversation,” she said.

The conversation also touched on a recent hot topic subject, President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy. Gongadze used the opportunity to note the lack of Ukrainian voices in the discussion on the issue.

“Ukrainian voices are not there,” she said. “Everyone is talking about Ukraine, except Ukrainians.”