A harrowing (and inspiring) dispatch from Ukraine
THIS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: HELP PROTECT WOMEN LIVING UNDER SIEGE » Tony, it’s International Women’s Day , a global day to celebrate acts of courage by women who have played an extraordinary role in their communities — and also a stark reminder of the many women around the world who woke up today in immediate danger. One such woman is Lera Burlakova, an Amnesty staffperson and mom who is responding to the crisis in Ukraine. Lera served on the frontlines for three years, fighting for freedom, and left the Ukrainian army with a disability. Weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, she rushed to evacuate her 4-year-old son, only to return in the same year. Why? Because, she says, “Russia wants panic. Russia wants us to leave. That is precisely why we do not.” This is her story, in her words: We do not have a bomb shelter in our building. The nearest one is a metro station. If you run to shelter five times a day and often through the night, carrying a child and ...