"When I help another woman, I save myself." 

"This powerful truth, spoken by one of our Ukrainian FemSMS leaders, reminds us that compassion and connection are not just ideals but lifelines,” says Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton, co-founder and executive director of Footage Foundation.

"Those who have experienced trauma and violence need a safe space to know they are not alone, as well as trusted information and resources when seeking help and support. By providing this resource, we hope to make a tangible difference in the lives of women and, through compassion and active participation, empower them to heal from the violence inflicted on them and their families. Neuroscience tells us that compassion can rewire our brains for resilience. And indeed, in our programs, we see how it creates lasting change," adds Dr. Eglinton. 

Nearly 20 years ago, while working on her PhD at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Eglinton, along with four other female social scientists, founded Footage Foundation. Their goal was to create an organization that bridges critical gaps between social science research and humanitarian work on the ground, as well as between communities and policymakers, focusing on compassion, voice, and dialogue. Based on feminist principles, Footage believes that personal issues, such as women’s rights, gender equality, or domestic violence, are deeply interconnected with politics, as societal change begins with personal stories and actions.

Beyond Ukraine, Footage has been helping women worldwide for many years, working in 13 countries across four continents. The INGO has been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts including working with refugees in Europe who have escaped conflict in Syria and camps in Libya, to gender violence in Afghanistan and intimate partner violence in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the United States.

Through its feminist research interventions, Footage has pioneered a more inclusive form of diplomacy — "dialogue diplomacy." This approach prioritizes community voices over state-oriented models. It operates on a grassroots level, fostering person-to-person and community-to-community connections. Dialogue diplomacy creates space for genuine, mutual conversations based on compassion, amplifying the voices of those most affected and giving them a platform to influence policies shaping their lives.

FemSMS, as a Footage Foundation project, uses human centred design. That means that it is created in direct collaboration with its subscribers through regular communication and surveys. This ensures that the structure and content of the messages align with the specific needs of Ukrainian women and the realities they face. Additionally, the message authors are Ukrainian women themselves, who have experienced challenging life circumstances due to the war and thus deeply understand the kind of support their fellow citizens need.

For instance, Alyona Ivasyuk, a FemSMS author and leader, and now a young mother, reached out to Ukrainian women even when her husband, a soldier, was defending Ukraine on the front line, and she was carrying their child in one of Ukraine's cities constantly under Russian shelling. "Every message we write goes through us. Of course, it’s not a personal blog; we develop them based on research and various scientific sources. But we also share what helps us personally stay resilient during this time," says Alyona. "Our signature opening, which starts each message, goes: 'Hello, dear friend! This is your FemSMS.' This greeting is intentional. Its goal is to give every woman reading the message a sense of personal connection and understanding — that she is not alone and that a close friend who truly cares about what she feels is by her side, sharing her experience and offering support."

Another FemSMS author and leader, Iryna Vasylchenko, is from Torez in the Donetsk region. She was forced to leave her hometown in 2014 due to Russian occupation and move to Kyiv, hoping to return in a few months. However, more than 10 years have passed, and she still cannot visit her homeland, the graves of her grandparents, or reunite with her parents. In 2022, Iryna met Kristen through the Girl-talk-Girl platform, a Footage Foundation program and the world's largest digital storytelling initiative focused on gender-based violence. She has worked with the Footage team on a project to provide financial support to Ukrainian women in need–called Compassionate Cash — and launched the FemSMS project. "FemSMS is an incredibly important project for both me and our team, as well as for the women it is addressed to. Words can harm, but they can also heal. And it is so important to preserve the human, especially the feminine, heart. I believe we should never underestimate the power of support. It’s crucial when someone believes in you, says the right words, and inspires you. The world supports us, and we must support one another. I hope that as many women as possible learn about our project, subscribe to our messages, and feel this support," shares Iryna.

Can simple text messages really help?

For women like Vera, a 40-year-old Ukrainian who woke up on February 24, 2022, to news of borders being blocked, bombs targeting cities, hospitals, and roads, and invading forces taking control, the support was vital.

While seeking safety from the Russian invasion, Vera was already battling violence from her partner. As the threat grew, her phone pinged: "This might be difficult to talk about, but violence against us, women, is part of this invasion. Regardless of whether you have experienced violence, the following text provides reliable resources for seeking help…" Reading this message, Vera immediately felt that she was not alone and had somewhere to turn.