Troubling trends are on the rise globally: anti-gender rhetoric is intensifying, disinformation is spreading, and the public visibility of women is increasingly being used as a pretext for attacks.
These challenges and possible responses were discussed during a meeting with women’s civil society organizations in Lviv, organized by Kvinna till Kvinna — a Swedish international feminist organization founded in 1993 that supports women’s rights and women’s human rights initiatives in countries around the world.
The name Kvinna till Kvinna translates from Swedish as “Woman to Woman” — symbolizing support and solidarity among women.
The event was attended by representatives of Women in Media, Oleksandra Horchynska and Olena Kushchenko, who shared the organization’s work and its experience in countering gender-based violence and disinformation.
Women’s organizations unite to respond to new challenges
69% of women activists worldwide have faced threats and harassment, with governments and authorities most frequently cited as the source of those threats (57% of respondents), pointing to a rise in state repression. These findings from a new study were presented by Annika Flensburg, Head of Advocacy and Press at Kvinna till Kvinna. The survey covered 795 respondents in 81 countries.
“Anti-gender movements have grown. All efforts are being directed at fighting feminism instead of addressing economic problems,” she noted.
The study also highlights that women activists increasingly avoid mentioning “gender,” “feminism,” and “LGBTQ+” in their applications and projects. At times, donors themselves request the use of “softened” terminology, and human rights language is being reframed in international forums. This forces activists either to compromise their values or to lose access to funding.
The situation of women human rights defenders and media professionals in Ukraine was addressed by Iryna Yuzyk, Senior Project Manager at the Human Rights Centre ZMINA. She noted that at the start of the full-scale invasion, humanitarian aid was in greater demand. Today, the highest demand is for legal support in response to harassment and threats.
The meeting was also joined by representatives of a number of Ukrainian women’s and human rights organizations, including the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, the Women’s Association Sphere, Fight For Right, the Slavic Heart Charitable Foundation, the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association “JurFem,” the Association of Roma Women Voice of Romni, and others.
Women in Media NGO conducts systematic work on cases of online violence against media workers. Women journalists, war correspondents, and TV presenters face sexualized comments and rape threats under their materials. Personal data may be leaked, and threats may be directed at relatives and loved ones. At times, these crimes move from online into the real world.
How Women in Media is responding to the challenges
A new research by Women in Media, The State of Female Journalists and Other Female Media Workers in Ukraine, shows that women in the media work under conditions of chronic stress and overload. The workload has grown, but financial conditions have not improved.
Oleksandra Horchynska, Project Manager at Women in Media, noted that a certain level of distrust toward law enforcement remains among women, particularly regarding the effectiveness of responses to cases of online violence.
She also stressed that this is precisely why the organization works systematically to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement in this area. On March 20, 2026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine hosted an online training, TFGBV — Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence. How to Respond and Prevent It, which was attended by around 50 representatives of law enforcement agencies, including 15 from the Cyber Police Department.
Oleksandra Horchynska demonstrated how the map for documenting cases of online violence works. In addition to recording cases and conducting awareness-raising activities, the organization provides legal and psychological support to those affected, along with opportunities to attend retreats and to take care of themselves. Oleksandra spoke about the support provided to media workers through the Taking Care of Our Health program, support for women with children, the Women Leaders in Media — Ukraine-EU Support Program for women heads of media outlets, as well as educational opportunities and self-support groups.
The Project Manager at Women in Media stressed that, in the context of Ukraine’s recovery, it is important to also address the recovery of the media sector. One step in this direction could be the full-fledged inclusion of media-related issues at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026), in particular through a dedicated panel on the role and needs of the media.
In 2025, Women in Media published an analytical paper titled Engaging the Media in a Gender Responsive and Inclusive Approach to Ukraine Recovery Programs: Recommendations for International Organizations.
What’s next: priorities for 2026
The participants agreed that overcoming these challenges requires systematic work: strengthening solidarity both within and across professional and civic communities, conducting trainings, and expanding cooperation with state authorities.
In 2026, Women in Media will continue documenting gender-based online attacks against women in the media. The organization will pay particular attention to developing women’s leadership through meetings, training events, networking, and dedicated support programs.
For reference: The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation has defended women’s rights since 1993. For every woman and girl’s right to be safe and to be heard. Today, it is one of the world’s leading feminist women’s rights organizations, working directly in areas affected by war and conflict to strengthen the influence and power of all women. They work closely together with more than 100 partner organizations in 20 countries (the Western Balkans, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa) to end violence against women, achieve gender equality and justice, and reach lasting feminist peace.
By Olena Kushchenko, journalist at Women in Media