Iryna Khyzhniak

Biography

Iryna Khyzhniak combines legal practice, human-rights advocacy, humanitarian programme management and work with local communities. She graduated in history from Kharkiv State University in 1996 and in law from Yaroslav Mudryi National Law Academy in 2001. She is currently completing a master’s programme in psychological counselling and psychotherapy, with the programme expected to conclude in December 2026.

Since 2006, she has directed BLITS Law Firm and has developed the Human and Law initiative, including free legal reception offices and personal legal consultations. Since 2015, she has served as Deputy Chair of the civil-society organisation Rights of the People, where her work includes public-interest litigation and rights-based case support. She has also co-chaired the National Platform Women for Peace since 2016.

Following the beginning of the full-scale war, Iryna Khyzhniak coordinated community and volunteer assistance in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. In 2025–2026, she worked as a regional coordinator for the Life Without Barriers initiative. Since June 2026, she has served as a project manager at the Posmishka UA Charity Fund within a Unified Cash Transfer programme supported by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Expertise

• human rights, access to justice and free legal aid;
• humanitarian programme and project management;
• local democracy, public participation and work with elected local representatives;
• safeguarding, gender equality and protection of children and vulnerable groups;
• community coordination, stakeholder communication and crisis response;
• training design, facilitation and organisational development;
• psychosocial support, psychological first aid and referral practices;
• institutional partnerships between civil society, communities and public authorities.

TNESC Leadership

Iryna Khyzhniak is a TNESC Board member and a member of the Practical Core. Her contribution links legal and social research with human-rights practice, humanitarian response, local-governance capacity and community-level implementation. She supports the development of partnerships, training programmes and applied initiatives that translate institutional standards into accessible services for people and communities.

Projects

Her verified professional portfolio includes:

• legal-aid and public-interest work through Human and Law and Rights of the People;
• regional coordination of the Life Without Barriers initiative in the Kharkiv region;
• management of a Unified Cash Transfer programme supported by humanitarian partners;
• community and volunteer coordination during the full-scale war;
• training programmes for local council members and civil-society actors;
• initiatives focused on women’s participation, peacebuilding and rights protection.

Publications and Professional Outputs

Iryna Khyzhniak’s professional outputs include legal consultations, public-interest cases, training curricula, programme-management documentation and practical guidance for communities and civil-society organisations. Her work is oriented towards application: improving access to legal assistance, strengthening local institutions, supporting vulnerable groups and building cooperation between humanitarian actors, public authorities and communities.