Webinar - Women and Illicit Finance in Russia’s Occupation of Ukraine - Dr Orly Stern and Olivia Allison - Thursday 19 February 2026 - 14:00 15:00

Join SOC ACE researchers Dr Orly Stern and Olivia Allison for a webinar examining the gendered dynamics of Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories. They will consider how women participate in - and are harmed by - the illicit financial flows (IFF) underpinning the occupation economy.

While conventional analyses tend to foreground military actors and elite male networks, this session looks at the often‑overlooked roles women play.

The speakers will explore how women are embedded across mid‑ and lower‑level administrative, judicial, and civil service structures that facilitate property seizures, business expropriations, and corrupt reconstruction schemes. They will discuss how these patterns reflect wider gender norms in both Russia and Ukraine.

The webinar will also consider how some women become linked to IFF activity through personal relationships – as wives and partners of Russian or pro‑Russian elites, acting as proxies for male relatives.

A key theme will be the disproportionate impact on Ukrainian women who remain in occupied areas - often at higher rates than men due to caregiving responsibilities and reduced risk of detention. The speakers will critically examine how women being prosecuted for collaboration, often without full consideration of the duress they faced.

Finally, the panel will outline a more nuanced and context sensitive framework for understanding women’s roles under occupation which distinguishes between - enablers of illicit systems and individuals navigating survival in coercive environments.

 Register for the Webinar here