History of the Center

In the late 1980s in the Netherlands, the organization STV was founded to word towards the prevention of trafficking in women and to aid trafficking victims.  In 1995, together with non-governmental organizations in Poland and the Czech Republic, STV created the La Strada program to focus on preventing trafficking in women from Central and Eastern Europe.

Shortly thereafter, NGOs in Ukraine (1997) and Bulgaria (1998) joined the program.  In 2001 La Strada expanded to Macedonia, Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Belarus.  The program is financed through the government of the Netherlands and other charitable donations.

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine officially registered the International Women’s Right Centre – La Strada Ukraine in March of 1998 (registration #1010).

In 2004 "La Strada-Ukraine" Center became one of the founders and member of the International "La Strada" Association   www.lastradainternational.org 

Since 1997, La Strada-Ukraine has been fortunate to receive financial support from the European Commission, the “Vidrodzhennya” Fund, the Open Society Institute, the Friedrich Ebert Fund, the Organization for Safety and Cooperation in Europe and the Organization for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, USAID, the United States, British, Finnish, French, German, Swiss Embassies in Ukraine, Anti-Slavery International, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Austrian government among other governments and charitable organizations.