The short woman with the outdated hairdo often shows up at public events, though she rather blends in with the crowd. A visit to her office does nothing to dispel the notion that she is not your typical Ukrainian functionary. The burly security guards ubiquitous in other government offices here are nowhere to be found. Instead, older women sit at the reception desk. The unintimidating setup has a purpose; most of those coming to see her have troubles with the law or are on the breadline. Nina Karpachova is the Ukrainian parliament’s long-time commissioner for human rights. The ombudsman neither holds the state purse strings nor takes part in political decision-making. Still, every year, Karpachova does well in the respected Focus magazine rankings of Ukraine’s most influential people. Last year the magazine deemed her the sixth most influential woman in the country. Read the story here.
