Flowers for women in war

Added on 07 March 2022

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On March 8, International Women's Day is celebrated all over the world, particularly in Ukraine and Russia where women traditionally receive beautiful flowers from men and women. However, this year is different. Millions of women are fleeing the war in Ukraine, are in hiding or sent their sons into battle.

Flowers have been solving problems for hundreds of years, from family disputes to quarrels over forgotten birthdays. Unfortunately, flowers cannot solve a war. However, we can use flowers to raise awareness and ask attention for all the women who have ended up in an unwanted war. Attention is needed to stop this war as soon as possible, and at the same time we want to let all women in this war know we are thinking about them, we care for them and we will continue to support them. This is a war not between two people or countries, this is the war of only one man.

We therefore call upon you: buy flowers on March 8 or the days beyond, buy them for your wife, girlfriend, mother, grandmother, daughter or colleague. Publish a photo of your flowers with hashtag #flowersforwomeninwar on social media to show you care and support all the women who need it right now.

This is an initiative of Emmeke Huizinga - Vierhout (Kischenzi) and John Elstgeeft (Flower Circus), who have been living in Ukraine for years with their respective families and are working in agriculture.

John Elstgeest

John Elstgeest has been living in Ukraine (in Bucha, just outside Kyiv) since 2016. He runs Flower Circus, a company that is engaged in flower promotion for breeders and growers. He fled the country together with his son. Employees of Flower Circus are still in Ukraine and are not able to leave the country at the moment.
'To me flowers are a symbol of hope and that's why I want to show my support towards all women involved in this conflict against their will: #flowersforwomeninwar!'

Emmeke Vierhout

Emmeke Vierhout has been living in the Ukraine for the past 20 years together with husband Kees Huizinga and their two daughters. The family runs a large farm over there, but due to the war Emmeke and their daughters are in the Netherlands right now and husband Kees is on his way. International Women's Day is an important holiday with lots of flowers. This will not be the case this year, with many women suffering from the war: women in hiding in bunkers and women whose husbands and sons fight on the front.
'My heart goes out to these women who only hope for peace and therefore I say: #flowersforwomeninwar!'