Sevgil Musaieva, the editor-in-chief of “Ukrainska Pravda,” has faced depreciation and hate because of her appearance during her professional career and even felt ashamed when she was included among the one hundred most successful people in the world. She spoke about this, as well as the importance of sisterhood and reducing competition among women, in an interview with journalist Kamila Hrabchuk for the YouTube channel Liudy (People).
Sevgil Musaieva became the head of the editorial board of “Ukrainska Pravda” in 2014. At that time, she was 27 years old and already had extensive professional experience. The editor-in-chief of “Ukrainska Pravda” said that her male colleagues often did not take her seriously, tried to devalue her, and focused not on her professionalism but primarily on the fact that she was a woman, and a young woman at that.
“Over time, I began to take it more philosophically. But I really want to change that. I want women to be noticed and appreciated, and not perceived as mere appendages to someone or something,” says Sevgil Musaieva.
Sevgil shared that she also experienced bullying because of her appearance. She admits that she likes beautiful clothes and jewelry. It is important for her to devote time to herself in the morning and choose an outfit that corresponds to her inner state. She inherited her love for clothes from her mother and grandmother. However, people around her began to shame her for this, discussing what she should and should not spend money on, and questioning why she had such beautiful clothes.
“At first, I had concerns about this. But then I allowed myself to be myself. I love it, and I will continue to do it. This is the foundation of my psychological balance and health. The worst thing a person can do is give up on themselves,” Musaieva shares.
Sevgil Musaieva was a fellow in the journalism program at the Nieman Foundation, Harvard University. But for her haters, it also became a reason for caustic comments. On social media, they would write disparaging remarks like, “Harvard didn’t help.”
In 2022, Sevgil Musaieva was included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The editor-in-chief tearfully says that she felt ashamed of this recognition and was afraid of hate and devaluation of her work:
“I was afraid that people would say I received the award because I am a woman, a Crimean Tatar, and so on. It was very insulting.”
Even personality type can be used against someone. Musaieva says that she is an introvert and a very reserved person. Often, people perceive this as coldness and arrogance. The editor-in-chief of “Ukrainska Pravda” notes that she constantly has to defend herself against attempts to use and manipulate her, which is very challenging. She must always consider how to protect the editorial office, its independence, and editorial principles while preventing herself and her journalists from being manipulated.
“Women are often devalued in our country, and both women and men contribute to this. It’s a form of double sexism. I’m not the only one experiencing this; many women face it. When discussions move away from professional qualities, they are always colored by the fact that you are a woman, a young woman, your status, what you wear, how you look, and whether you’ve gained weight or not,” says Sevgil.
Musaieva also highlights the problem of competition among women. Women are forced to compete not only with men but also with other women for career advancement. It sometimes happens that women in managerial positions allow their subordinates to develop only up to a certain point, and then block further advancement. According to Sevgil Musaieva, this should not be the case.
“We need to talk about sisterhood, support, and mentorship — so that mature women help younger women stand up for their rights and reduce competition. I was fortunate in this regard; I met amazing women who guided and supported me. I want this kind of support to be present in other areas of life as well,” said Sevgil Musaieva.
As a reminder, Ukrainian journalist and former Washington Post producer Kamila Hrabchuk launched her own YouTube project about media and war, called “Liudy (People),” in early 2024. The first interviews focused on Ukrainian fixers and producers who assist foreign media in covering the war in Ukraine, as well as the behind-the-scenes work of press officers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A survey by the Women in Media NGO, which analyzed 173 questionnaires from representatives of 168 Ukrainian media outlets, revealed that while women make up the majority of editorial board members, men predominate among media owners. The most common response was that all relevant management positions are held by women, with 41% of respondents indicating this. At the same time, the ultimate beneficiaries of the media are men, as reported by 38% of the surveyed newsrooms.