On May 29, a solemn ceremony was held to announce and award the winners of the annual professional journalism competition “Honor of the Profession.” Among this year’s awards was the special nomination “Best Material on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality,” initiated by Women in Media NGO. This year, two journalistic works were recognized as winners in this category.
The awards went to:
- Mariana Verbovska and Nataliia Onysko — for the material“Child Kidnappers,” published by NGL.media.
- Bohdana Hordiichuk, Anastasiia Diachkina, and photographer Dmytro Larin — for the report “It Has Become Impossible to Mine Coal Without Women. A Day in the Life of a Mine in Western Donbas” inEkonomichna Pravda.
The awards were presented by Women in Media co-founder and Hromadske Radio editor-in-chief Viktoria Yermolayeva, who, during the ceremony, called for honoring the memory of fallen journalists — Iryna Tsybukh, Anastasiia Volkova, and this year’s posthumous honoree Viktoriia Roshchyna. She also emphasized the importance of supporting gender-sensitive journalism during wartime, when women are particularly vulnerable to violence, and their voices must be heard.
“This is already the fourth year that we are honoring journalism that gives a voice to women, raises important gender issues, and highlights realities that often remain in the shadows. Over 100 entries each year are a testament to the relevance and strength of this topic,” Yermolayeva noted.
The special Women in Media nomination has existed since 2022. Previous winners include:
- Mariia Semenchenko (Reporters) — for the material “My Husband Said I Was Hitting Myself,”
- Olesia Bida (Hromadske) won for her report “From the Gulag to the Colony in Olenivka — Women in Russian Prisons,”
- Lutfiye Zudiyeva and Anna Kravets for their podcast Defender. Imayeci, and their piece “Urgent Need for Justice” (Graty).
In 2025, the special nomination is implemented by Women in Media as part of the “Network of Gender Think Tanks” project, implemented by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund with the support of the European Union.
This year’s shortlist for the nomination included:
- “Born Unborn, or How to Help a Mother Who Has Lost a Child” — Iryna Vyrtosu, Divoche.media
- “Child Kidnappers” — Mariana Verbovska, Natalia Onysko, NGL.media
- “It Has Become Impossible to Mine Coal Without Women” — Bohdana Hordiichuk, Anastasiia Diachkina, photographer Dmytro Larin, Ekonomichna Pravda.
- “Behind Closed Doors” — Olha Zymohliadova, Vladyslav Martynchuk, Valeriia Khomych, Chetverta Vlada
- “The War Has Opened Doors for Women in Male-Dominated Professions” — Olha Stukalo, Alina Shulha, Nakypilo.osvita
In total, 1,115 materials were submitted to the “Honor of the Profession 2025” competition across six main and four special nominations.
Among the honors was a special distinction from the competition’s Supervisory Board — “For Dedication to the Profession Under the Harshest Conditions,” awarded posthumously to journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity. The award was accepted by her colleague, journalist and advisor to the head of the board at Suspilne, Anhelina Kariakina, who will present it to Viktoriia’s parents.