Women in Media NGO, in partnership with International Media Support (IMS), has completed an independent gender audit of Suspilne Broadcasting. The study was carried out from May to August 2025 as part of the project United for Equality in the Media: Promoting Gender Equality Through Cooperation Between Public Organizations, Media, and Authorities.
The audit covered the company’s internal policies and documents, organizational structure, pay system, decision-making procedures, monitoring mechanisms, as well as the results of a survey of 521 Suspilne employees.
It was conducted by independent experts Liza Kuzmenko and Olena Suslova to assess the extent to which Suspilne adheres to the principles of equal rights and opportunities for women and men, identify barriers, and outline approaches to address them. The audit examined internal regulations defining policies, organizational structure, pay system, decision-making procedures, monitoring mechanisms, and the results of a staff survey.
“Carrying out a gender audit is not a formality, but a step that demonstrates the seriousness and consistency of our intentions. We strive to create an environment where everyone can realize their potential without barriers. It is encouraging to see that more and more colleagues in the company —both women and men — understand the value of these changes and contribute to building a fairer and stronger team,” said Maria Frey, a member of the Suspilne Broadcasting Board responsible for news and regional broadcasting.
Liza Kuzmenko, audit expert and head of Women in Media, emphasized that conducting an independent gender audit is not only an assessment of the current situation but also a roadmap for further development.
“It is important that the company is open to external expertise and ready to continue integrating European standards into its work. This provides the foundation for Suspilne to become not just an example for others, but also a true leader of change in Ukraine’s media industry,” she stressed.
Key findings
The experts noted that Suspilne demonstrates systematic attention to ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination. The company has adopted key policies, including the NCRTB Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Policy (2021), the NCRTB Code of Conduct and Ethics, and the Concept of an Inclusive Approach in Content Production and Teamwork, along with internal response mechanisms and openness to external audits.
“Suspilne is a pioneer among Ukrainian media in implementing such approaches and thus has the potential to become a leader in advancing human rights standards and inclusive practices in the media sector. Implementing comprehensive changes will not only ensure compliance with Ukrainian legislative requirements and international obligations but will also strengthen the trust of audiences, partners, and donors who are guided by European standards,” the audit report states.
At the same time, the audit pointed to several problems:
- Inconsistency of some definitions and provisions with current legislation (including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Law of Ukraine on Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men)
- The absence of a cross-cutting approach to integrating gender policy into all strategic documents
- Unclear criteria for evaluating its effectiveness.
Personnel survey results
A total of 521 Suspilne employees (13% of staff) took part in the survey. According to the experts, the sample is representative and makes it possible to identify trends and draw analytical conclusions.
The survey showed predominantly positive attitudes toward gender equality: 86% consider it important, and 85% are convinced that gender does not affect career prospects. However, 9% believe the opposite.
When asked whether Suspilne prevents manifestations of gender inequality such as offensive remarks based on gender, 60% of respondents said that measures were more than sufficient. The rest held the opposite view, which indicates diverse perceptions of this issue within the team.
Among those who reported facing discriminatory treatment, some respondents mentioned multiple grounds of discrimination simultaneously. The most common were age (27%) and gender (14%). Discrimination based on marital status was reported by 7%, while discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation was each noted by 2%. This shows that although cases of discrimination are relatively few, they affect different social groups.
Recommendations
The experts proposed the following key steps:
- Developing an implementation plan for the Gender Equality Policy and the Concept of an Inclusive Approach in Content Production and Teamwork (2026–2027)
- Introducing mandatory induction and annual interactive online training for all employees on gender equality, non-discrimination, prevention of sexual harassment, and countering gender-based online violence
- Conducting regular audits of the gender pay gap
- Commissioning an external gender audit every 2–3 years.
Suspilne Broadcasting is an independent media company with extensive reach across all platforms: the television channels Pershyi, Suspilne Kultura, Suspilne Sport, and a national network of local channels; the radio stations Ukrainian Radio, Radio Promin, Radio Kultura, and Radiotochka. News is available on the website suspilne.media and on national and local digital platforms. Suspilne broadcasts in minority languages, represents Ukraine at Eurovision, develops the children’s platform Brobaks, and trains the media community at the Public Media Academy. It also runs Suspilne Mediateka — a platform of unique Suspilne video and audio content dating from the 1950s to today.
This material was made possible by International Media Support (IMS) as part of the project “United for Equality in the Media: Promoting Gender Equality Through Cooperation Between Public Organizations, Media, and Authorities” implemented by the NGO “Women in Media.” Any views expressed here belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the IMS.