Women chaplains and ageing without stereotypes: equality and diversity best practices in Ukrainian newsrooms

In Kyiv, the NGO Women in Media presented the first collection of best practices on equality and diversity in the media, Media That Make a Change: Best Equality and Diversity Practices in Ukrainian Newsrooms, prepared with the support of IMS (International Media Support).

The collection is based on an open call initiated by the NGO in cooperation with the national media regulator, inviting Ukrainian newsrooms to submit examples of their editorial work. Selected cases were included in the publication, and participating media outlets were invited to receive public recognition for their contribution.

The collection focuses on editorial decisions, stories and practical examples that illustrate how Ukrainian media address complex social issues in the context of war.

The publication was developed by the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting in cooperation with the NGO Women in Media, with the support of the IMS team. It brings together 29 practices and nine management solutions implemented by national and local Ukrainian media outlets in 2024–2025.

In addition to content-related approaches, the collection highlights internal editorial policies that help create safe, inclusive and resilient working environments. One of its key conclusions is the link between how a newsroom operates internally and how it communicates with its audiences.

Gender stereotypes in spiritual leadership

One of the cases featured in the collection is the documentary film by Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne,Chaplainesses: Prayer in Hell. The film is an anthology of stories of three women chaplains working with military personnel during the full-scale war.

In both society and the military environment, spiritual leadership is still predominantly perceived as a “male role”. As a result, women chaplains are often trusted less, and some members of the military and civilian populations are reluctant to accept emotional or spiritual support from them.

Through this film, the public broadcaster’s team presents a different dimension of chaplaincy – the daily work with trauma, exhaustion and crises of faith. Women chaplains provide a safe space for conversations about fear and doubt – experiences that are often perceived as weakness, but in fact are expressions of humanity.

The film allows viewers to see for themselves how gender stereotypes can limit people’s access to the support they need, and how media can help ease these barriers by making the contours of such stereotypes visible.

At present, journalists face difficulties in finding reliable data on the number of women chaplains active in Ukraine. As noted in the public broadcaster’s case, women chaplains are still advocating for official recognition. Media coverage therefore contributes to public discussion and reflection on this topic in Ukrainian society.

Returning to civilian life

In the collection Media That Make a Change: Best Practices of Equality and Diversity in Ukrainian Newsrooms, IMS partner Radio Nakypilo from Kharkiv describes its editorial experience of covering the transition of military veterans back to civilian life. In the podcast series Side by Side, veterans and active service members speak in the first person about adaptation and rehabilitation.

When working on this topic, the newsroom deliberately avoids dramatisation and imposed narratives of hero worship or pity. Instead, the focus is placed on dignity, personal boundaries and non-stigmatising language. The audio format makes it possible to address complex conversations about mental health, bodily changes and the risks of social isolation in a calm tone, with due consideration for the psychological safety of the audience.

At the same time, veterans’ personal stories are contextualised as part of broader challenges – including access to rehabilitation, the role of communities and the responsibility of the state in supporting people after the war.

“A good mother”: why it is important to talk about postpartum depression

In Ukraine, childcare is traditionally and structurally borne largely by mothers. During the war, this imbalance has intensified: many women remain with their children without partner support due to mobilisation, military service or forced migration. At the same time, social expectations of what it means to be a “good mother” remain high and often leave little room for vulnerability or for seeking psychological help.

According to research, around 39 percent of Ukrainian women experience clinically significant symptoms of postpartum depression compared to lower prevalence rates reported in recent European studies, which are generally around 10 percent depending on national context and methodology.

In this context, the Ukrainian online outlet Hrechka (Kropyvnytskyi) addressed postpartum depression through the story of a woman who was unable to cope with its consequences, to care for herself and her child, and who was at the same time afraid to seek help due to fear of judgement and stigma. In Media That Make a Change…, the newsroom describes how this story was presented to readers not as a sensation but as a starting point for public discussion and greater awareness of the issue.

The editorial team deliberately rejected judgement and moralising, framing postpartum depression as a medical and psychological condition rather than a sign of “bad motherhood”. This approach can help other women speak about their own experiences, reduce feelings of isolation and seek support, understanding that they are not alone and that help is possible.

Ageing: focusing on possibilities

Another example in the collection comes from the regional media outlet Nashe Misto (Dnipro City), which focuses on the lives of older people. The newsroom demonstrates how it creates content by consciously moving away from the common media portrayal of older age as vulnerability, loneliness or social dependence.

Instead, the stories focus on activity, interests, self-realisation and participation in community life. The long-read format, built around a series of in-depth interviews, presents older age as a stage of life shaped by choice and meaning, rather than social exclusion.

Speaking to different audiences: editorial approaches in practice

Media That Make a Change… also includes examples of how Ukrainian journalistic teams engage their audiences on issues concerning ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ people and other groups.

According to Gohar Khodjayan, Programme Manager at IMS, equality and diversity in the media are part of a systemic effort to build audience trust and newsroom resilience.

“Especially during the war, these practices help newsrooms reduce internal tensions, improve the quality of content and stay closer to society,” she said, adding that the collection demonstrates the active role of Ukrainian media in driving change, rather than merely adapting international recommendations.

Maksym Onopriienko, Member of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting, emphasised that everyday editorial decisions shape public perceptions.

“How headlines are written, who is invited to speak and how discrimination is addressed – all of this influences not only content quality but also broader public attitudes,” he noted.

Liza Kuzmenko, Head of Women in Media, stressed that all the cases and approaches presented are practical and can be applied in daily newsroom work even without significant budgets.

The organisers plan to continue fostering dialogue and exchange within the journalistic community and to make the collection and promotion of best practices a regular effort, encouraging more Ukrainian media outlets to integrate principles of equality, diversity and inclusion both in content and newsroom organisation.

IMS integrates principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into its programmes across different regions of the world as part of its approach to media resilience and human rights protection.

IMS focuses on supporting internal media policies – including gender, anti-harassment and safeguarding approaches – and on developing gender-sensitive, non-stigmatising content, particularly in coverage of conflict, violence, disability, migration and human rights. Equality is treated not as a standalone topic, but as an integral part of professional journalistic standards.

IMS applies this approach in programmes across Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Africa and Asia, adapting tools to local contexts. This includes work on editorial policies, training programmes, advisory support, organisational development and sustained dialogue with media communities.

This approach is grounded in the conviction that independent media cannot be professional or resilient if they reproduce inequality or exclude parts of society from public dialogue.

More information on other IMS programmes and projects in Ukraine:

IMS (International Media Support) will provide support to 25 more media outlets in Ukraine

MERIT Forum 2026: Who are this year’s voices of Ukraine?

MERIT Forum exchange on media resilience

Seven lessons learned for media resilience during long‑term war

Policy Book on Information Resilience: Lessons and recommendations from Ukraine 2022–2025

IMS and Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne Ukraine, sign a memorandum of strategic partnership

We invite you to learn more about journalism in Ukraine in the news article on the emotional state of media professionals, as well as in the news piece on investigative journalism.