Lesia Vasylenko

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Lesia Vasylenko

| native_name = {{Nobold|Леся Василенко}}

| native_name_lang = uk

| image = Lesia Vasylenko's portrait (cropped).jpg

| caption = Ukrainian parliamentarian Lesia Vasylenko

| office = People's Deputy of Ukraine

| term_start = 29 August 2019

| term_end =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| birth_name = Lesia Volodymyrivna Vasylenko

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|03|31|df=y}}{{Cite web |title=Василенко Леся Володимирівна |trans-title=Vasylenko Lesia Volodymyrivna |url=https://lb.ua/file/person/4662_vasilenko_lesya_volodimirivna.html |access-date=25 March 2022 |website=lb.ua |language=uk |archive-date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325024153/https://lb.ua/file/person/4662_vasilenko_lesya_volodimirivna.html |url-status=live }}

| birth_place = Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

| mother =

| father = Volodymyr Vasylenko

| spouse =

| children = 3

| occupation = Lawyer, politician

| party = Holos (2019–present)

| alma_mater = Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
University College London

}}

Lesia Volodymyrivna Vasylenko ({{langx|uk|Леся Володимирівна Василенко}}; born March 31, 1987) is a Ukrainian lawyer and politician serving as a People's Deputy of Ukraine in the 9th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada. Vasylenko is a member of the Ukrainian permanent delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's Bureau of Women Parliamentarians. She is the founder of {{Interlanguage link|Legal Hundred|uk|Юридична Сотня}}, a human rights non-governmental organization that provides assistance to servicemen and veterans.

Early life and education

Vasylenko was born in Kyiv to Volodymyr Vasylenko, a human rights activist. She completed a master's degree in international law at the {{Interlanguage link|Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv|lt=Institute of International Relations|uk|Навчально-науковий інститут міжнародних відносин Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка}} of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and an LL.M. at University College London.{{Cite web |last=Romanenko |first=Maria |date=1 December 2016 |title=Lesia Vasylenko: NGO gives free legal aid to soldiers, and it all started with a trip to a military hospital - Dec. 01, 2016 |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/special/lesia-vasylenko-ngo-gives-free-legal-aid-soldiers-started-trip-military-hospital.html |access-date=10 March 2022 |website=KyivPost |archive-date=25 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225180149/https://www.kyivpost.com/special/lesia-vasylenko-ngo-gives-free-legal-aid-soldiers-started-trip-military-hospital.html |url-status=live }}

Career

Vasylenko worked as a corporate lawyer. At the beginning of the Euromaidan revolution in 2013, she protested frequently at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti. After visiting a hospital during the war in Donbas in June 2014, Vasylenko learned that wounded soldiers were unaware of their rights to compensation. Many of the soldiers she spoke with struggled to pay for their medical treatments. In January 2015, she founded {{Interlanguage link|Legal Hundred|uk|Юридична Сотня}}, a human rights non-governmental organization that provides assistance to servicemen and veterans.{{Cite news |last1=Sokolenko |first1=Natalia |last2=Tuzov |first2=Dmytro |title=The number of appeals of anti-terrorist operation soldiers and their families concerning protection of the rights grows, - Lesya Vasylenko |language=uk |work=Hromadske |url=https://hromadskeradio.org/programs/hromadska-hvylya/kilkist-zvernen-voyiniv-ato-ta-yih-simey-shchodo-zahystu-yih-prav-zrostaye-lesya-vasylenko |url-status=}}{{deadlink|date=September 2023}} In 2016, Vasylenko was named by the Kyiv Post as one of the top 30 young under-30 leaders.{{Cite web |last=Yakutenko |first=Anna |date=2 December 2016 |title=Kyiv Post awards Top 30 Under 30 young leaders - Dec. 02, 2016 |url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-post-awards-top-30-30-young-leaders.html |access-date=11 March 2022 |website=KyivPost |archive-date=5 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205224006/https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/kyiv-post-awards-top-30-30-young-leaders.html |url-status=live }}

In June 2019, it was announced that Vasylenko and Oleksandra Ustinova would be joining the Holos party.{{Cite web |date=7 June 2019 |title=До партії Вакарчука приєднались правозахисниця та громадська активістка |url=https://1news.com.ua/ukraine/do-partiyi-vakarchuka-pryyednalys-pravozahysnyczya-ta-gromadska-aktyvistka.html |access-date=16 June 2019 |website=1NEWS.COM.UA |language=uk |archive-date=8 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608141105/https://1news.com.ua/ukraine/do-partiyi-vakarchuka-pryyednalys-pravozahysnyczya-ta-gromadska-aktyvistka.html |url-status=live }} In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Vasylenko was elected a People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 9th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada.{{Cite web |title=Lesia Vasylenko |url=https://itd.rada.gov.ua/mps/info/page/21000 |url-status=dead |website=Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine |language=uk |access-date=10 March 2022 |archive-date=26 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226224253/https://itd.rada.gov.ua/mps/info/page/21000 }}{{Cite web |title=Central Election Commission |url=https://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/vnd2019/wp407pt001f01=919pf7201=16591.html |url-status=dead |website=Ukrainian Central Election Commission |access-date=11 March 2022 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311002944/https://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/vnd2019/wp407pt001f01=919pf7201=16591.html }}{{Cite web |date=28 August 2019 |title=Парламентські вибори 2019: хто пройшов у Верховну Раду України |trans-title=New Verkhovna Rada: who went to parliament |url=https://24tv.ua/parlamentski_vibori_2019_hto_prohodit_u_verhovnu_radu_spisok_deputativ_n1177395 |access-date=11 March 2022 |website=24 Канал |language=uk |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311002351/https://24tv.ua/parlamentski_vibori_2019_hto_prohodit_u_verhovnu_radu_spisok_deputativ_n1177395 |url-status=live }} She is a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management.{{Cite web |title=Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management |url=http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/site2/p_komity_list?pidid=3006 |url-status=dead |website=Verkhovna Rada |access-date=11 March 2022 |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129232241/http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/site2/p_komity_list?pidid=3006 }} Vasylenko is a member of the permanent delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.{{Cite web |date=17 September 2019 |title=Став відомий склад нової делегації України в ПАРЄ |url=https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2019/09/17/7100863/ |access-date=11 March 2022 |website=European Pravda |language=uk |archive-date=18 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190918055650/https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/news/2019/09/17/7100863/ |url-status=live }} Vasylenko is a member of the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union{{Cite web |title=Ukrainian parliamentary delegation took part in the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Belgrade |url=https://rada.gov.ua/print/183172.html |url-status=dead |access-date=11 March 2022 |archive-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125014332/https://www.rada.gov.ua/print/183172.html }} where she serves as president of its Bureau of Women Parliamentarians.{{Cite web |title=Bureau of Women Parliamentarians |url=https://www.ipu.org/about-ipu/structure-and-governance/governing-council/forum-women-parliamentarians/bureau-women-parliamentarians |access-date=11 March 2022 |website=Inter-Parliamentary Union |language=en |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308002246/https://www.ipu.org/about-ipu/structure-and-governance/governing-council/forum-women-parliamentarians/bureau-women-parliamentarians |url-status=live }} She is co-chair of the interparliamentary relations group to the United Kingdom.{{Cite web |date=29 October 2019 |title=У Верховній Раді створено депутатську групу з міжпарламентських зв'язків зі Сполученим Королівством Великої Британії та Північної Ірландії |trans-title=A parliamentary group on interparliamentary relations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been established in the Verkhovna Rada |url=https://rada.gov.ua/news/Novyny/183486.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204034313/https://rada.gov.ua/news/Novyny/183486.html |archive-date=4 December 2019 |access-date= |website=Verkhovna Rada |language=uk}} On 12 December 2019, Vasylenko joined {{Interlanguage link|Humane country|uk|Міжфракційне об'єднання «Гуманна країна»}}, an inter-factional association to promote humanistic values and prevent cruelty to animals.{{Cite web |date=12 December 2019 |title=Гуманна країна. У Раді створили міжфракційне об'єднання з метою захисту прав тварин |url=https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/politics/rada-zaraz-zahist-prav-tvarin-novini-ukrajini-50058915.html |access-date=11 March 2022 |website=nv.ua |language=uk |archive-date=24 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224181539/https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/politics/rada-zaraz-zahist-prav-tvarin-novini-ukrajini-50058915.html |url-status=live }}

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vasylenko armed herself with several guns to protect her family.{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Taz |date=2 March 2022 |title=MP says she has her gun ready as being armed is 'matter of survival' for women in Ukraine |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/world/ukrainian-mp-gun-firearm-ready-matter-survival-women-russia-invasion-1493862 |access-date=10 March 2022 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en |archive-date=9 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309071940/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/ukrainian-mp-gun-firearm-ready-matter-survival-women-russia-invasion-1493862 |url-status=live }} She said on 26 February 2022 that the Russian military was targeting Ukrainian civilians to make the country surrender.{{Cite web |last=Lovett |first=Samuel |date=26 February 2022 |title=Russian forces have changed strategy to target civilians, says Ukrainian MP |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-kyiv-troops-war-latest-b2024027.html |url-access=registration |access-date=10 March 2022 |website=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=10 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310000026/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-kyiv-troops-war-latest-b2024027.html |url-status=live }} On 1 March, Vasylenko evacuated her three children from her home in Kyiv. On 4 March, she said the invasion was the start of World War III.{{Cite web |last=Frei |first=Matt |date=4 March 2022 |title='The world is already in World War Three', Ukrainian MP says |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/the-world-is-already-in-world-war-three-ukrainian-mp-says |access-date=10 March 2022 |website=Channel 4 News |language=en-GB |archive-date=6 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306234518/https://www.channel4.com/news/the-world-is-already-in-world-war-three-ukrainian-mp-says |url-status=live }}

Vasylenko became one of the initiators of the international #unrussiaUN{{Cite magazine |date=2023-02-24 |title=Russia Doesn't Belong in the United Nations |url=https://time.com/6256488/russia-united-nations-security-council-undeserved-seat/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |magazine=Time |language=en}} campaign aimed at excluding Russia from the UN.