September 5 is celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Indigenous Women. It is an opportunity to draw attention to the role of women in preserving the cultural heritage, identity, and rights of their peoples.

For Ukraine, this day is especially significant in the context of Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks. For centuries, women from these communities have been at the core of preserving language, traditions, and family ties. From the activism of Şefika Hasprinskaya, who advocated for women’s rights and education in the early 20th century, to the resistance against the 1944 deportation, when it was these women who saved children and supported communities in exile, their role has been decisive.

During the period of national revival in the 1980s and 1990s, women played an active role in the struggle to return to Crimea. Today, Crimean Tatar activists and human rights defenders continue this tradition by supporting political prisoners, assisting their families, and documenting human rights violations on the occupied peninsula.

Despite the small size of their communities, Karaite and Krymchak women play an essential role in preserving religious and cultural practices, safeguarding Crimea’s unique heritage as part of Ukraine’s rich cultural mosaic.

Their activities show that women are the bearers of identity and the protectors of cultural heritage. The future of the indigenous peoples of Crimea and the preservation of their unique culture would be impossible without their dedication and daily work.

The International Day of Indigenous Women is not only about respect. It is about responsibility: remembering and supporting those who dedicate their lives to preserving Ukraine’s identity.