The program is designed to support women journalists by covering the costs of caregiving: nannies, kindergartens, extracurricular activities, and tutors during periods of increased professional workload.
The initiative is part of the project “Voice of Resilience: Supporting Women in Journalism During Wartime”, implemented by the ZMINA Human Rights Centre with technical support from UN Women in Ukraine and funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing tool supporting quality interventions to enhance the capacity of local women around the world to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.
Within the framework of the project, dozens of women in media have already received financial compensation to help cover caregiving expenses. All of them are from different parts of Ukraine and represent different types of media. The support has enabled them to offload and delegate some of the responsibilities related to childcare.
“Being a working mother is difficult, regardless of what anyone says or how much help you have. In the summer, this challenge becomes even tougher because there’s no school, and that means there’s no time to work while the child is studying,” said Hromadske Radio Executive Director Ruslana Brianska in a comment to Women in Media.
Thanks to the program, she was able to pay for a summer camp for her daughter, Stefania. The child spent time outdoors, engaged in activities, enjoying bright experiences and emotions in the company of friends. Meanwhile, the journalist could dedicate this time to her work.
“Care work often falls on women in addition to everything else: they have to juggle professional responsibilities and raising children. Development, extracurriculars, activities — all of it takes time,” Ruslana Bryanska admits.
“Last summer, I often had to take my daughter to the newsroom and then run around to children’s centers and shops. I felt guilty that I couldn’t give her enough attention because of work. This year, thanks to the caregiving support program, I finally feel at peace: my child attended an excellent camp, and I was able to focus on work, personal growth, and not constantly stress about managing both at once. This support is incredibly valuable, and I’m truly grateful!”
Freelance journalist and contributor to LB.ua and Skhidnyi Variant Maryna Mukhina used the Women in Media program to cover the cost of a nanny who looked after her daughter during four work trips. The nanny picked her child up from kindergarten and stayed with her until she handed over care to the journalist-mother.
“In the past, I had to deal with this issue on my own, either rely on my limited financial resources or ask friends for help, always worrying whether someone might forget it was their turn to pick up Olenka. But thanks to this project, I was able to travel and work without having to think about logistics. Special thanks for the simplified reporting procedure and assistance provided at every stage. I really hope this program continues so more women in media can benefit from it,” said Maryna Mukhina.
Raising a child on your own while staying in the profession is no small task, she adds. But with programs like this and the support they offer, you begin to feel that everything really is possible.
Journalism is a demanding job, says another participant of the “We take care of you while you take care of others” program, Tetiana Volkova, editor-in-chief of the website STEP — Media about Western Donbas, based in Pavlohrad. Especially now, in a time of fierce competition with Telegram channels, when news has a shelf life of mere minutes and journalists have little time for fact-checking.
“May was full of events: I reported on the consequences of Shahed drone attacks on the city, attended various events, managed to continue my studies, ran the School for Bloggers, and even slowly returned to yoga — just once a week so far, but it’s a start. All of this was made possible thanks to the Women in Media program, which helped cover caregiving expenses during intense work periods,” said Tetiana Volkova.
For Svitlana Nakonechna, deputy editor of the Yampilsky Visti newspaper, the program helped cover the cost of English classes for her child. While her daughter was gaining new knowledge and skills, the journalist was able to dedicate time to work — she describes the program as “a true gift for the family”:
“As a mother and a journalist, I know very well what it means to constantly run out of time, and how important it is not to lose what matters most: a child’s development, education, and emotional growth. My daughter was excited to attend the classes. She wasn’t just memorizing words or grammar but was learning the language in a playful, engaging, and accessible way. Thanks to initiatives like this, you truly feel supported, and you understand that caring for a child is not only a family matter, but a shared value.”
Olena Hniteska, a journalist from Most media outlet in Kherson, shared that the program allowed her to pay for a handicraft class for her daughter. For the child, she said, it was more than just a hobby. After multiple relocations due to the war, and the trauma and loss the family endured, the girl needed an activity for distraction.
“Since the start of the full-scale invasion, we’ve had to move four times. Part of our house was destroyed by artillery shelling. My daughter struggled to make new friends and dealt with personal losses. We’re from a partially occupied part of Kherson region, and overall, because of the war and occupation, we’ve lost five members of our family,” Olena Hniteska shared.
A long search for suitable hobbies and activities eventually led them to handicrafts. According to the journalist, it was there that her daughter formed friendships with other children and a strong bond with her instructor. This sense of connection helped the girl later on, when she had to switch schools due to bullying.
“At those classes, her talents and creativity blossomed. It also helped her integrate into a new peer group. Financially, it was very difficult to afford the classes, but I couldn’t say no to her. That’s why this program was such a blessing, and we are genuinely grateful,” Olena Hniteska said. “Also, as a mother who travels for assignments in dangerous zones, I know how important it is to reset mentally. While my daughter is at her craft class, I can get work done or go for a run. It helps me mentally recover after drone attacks and shelling.”
Ukrainian women in media often carry not only the burden of childcare but also care responsibilities for other family members, especially elderly relatives. Olena Herenko, director of Pivnich Media, an online outlet based in Sumy, used the Women in Media program to cover the cost of a caregiver for her 79-year-old mother, who requires constant care following a stroke.
“That kind of care takes patience and skills I’d never encountered before. I learned how to give injections, change adult diapers, and understand my mother’s needs, sometimes practically reading her mind… We found caregivers, professional, kind-hearted women, and their support has been invaluable. Life goes on, and I still have to work, travel for assignments, attend events, learn, and grow,” shared Olena Herenko.
The journalist added that caregiver services are essential for people like her mother, but they are far from affordable. In many cases, all the household’s earnings may go toward care and medication.
“Thanks to you, I was able to fully focus on work and even attend a training in another city. It helped break the routine and brought me a sense of calm,” Olena Herenko added.
Oleksandra Horchynska, the project coordinator from Women in Media, notes that women’s caregiving labor often goes unnoticed.“But without it, there would be no news, no reports, no stories that change the world. We’re grateful to all the journalists who have shared their stories and to our partners who made this program possible. Let’s work to ensure that supporting women in media is no longer the exception but becomes the new standard for both media outlets and the state,” she emphasized.
The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is the only global mechanism created exclusively to support women’s participation in peace and security processes and humanitarian assistance. Governed by a range of civil society, government and UN actors, WPHF is a multi-partner trust fund that mobilizes urgently needed funding for local women-led organizations and works with women on the frontlines to build lasting peace. Since 2016, WPHF has provided funding and capacity building to more than 1,000 local women’s civil society organizations working on the Women, Peace and Security agenda and implementing humanitarian activities in 41 crisis-affected countries.