Recently, the Suspilne team met with Kateryna Levchenko, the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, and Liza Kuzmenko, head of the Women in Media NGO. Suspilne reported on this meeting.
Attending the meeting were Yuliia Fediv, a board member in charge of socially important content; Mariya Frey, a board member in charge of news and regional broadcasting; and Anastasiia Hudyma, Director of the Department for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunities.
Meeting participants discussed the importance of integrating gender equality at the institutional level, particularly within the team’s internal work and content. They focused on using feminitives, featuring more female experts, and creating equal opportunities for all employees.
The main focus was on approaches to implementing the concept of gender equality in the public sector. They addressed support for responsible fatherhood and motherhood, including creating children’s rooms and providing assistance during business trips. This integrated approach highlights Suspilne’s role as a model for other media.
Kateryna Levchenko emphasized the importance of Suspilne’s policies that allow employees to balance work and family responsibilities: “This is one of the areas that most urgently need policy development—flexible work schedules, the ability to bring children to work, the creation of children’s rooms, permission for business trips with children, and introducing paternity leave for childcare. However, such measures require both domestic policies and state support.”
The implementation of gender equality policy at Suspilne follows a two-pronged approach: on one hand, it is important to convey the values of equality and inclusion to the platforms’ entire audience, and on the other, to introduce these principles within the team, ensuring equality among all employees. “We strive to ensure that everyone on our team not only understands the values of gender equality and non-discrimination but also embodies them in their daily work. To achieve this, we create effective tools and practical recommendations that will help integrate these principles at all levels of the organization, making them an integral part of our work culture,” emphasized Anastasiia Hudyma.
“Developing the Concept of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion is a strategic step for our organization. We aim to integrate the principles of equality at all levels of our activities, ensuring not only compliance with standards but also the cultivation of a genuine culture of respect and inclusion. One part of the Concept focuses on gender equality, as this issue impacts all aspects of our work and serves as the foundation for creating an equal working environment,” notesYuliia Fediv, board member in charge of socially important content. “The constructive meeting with the Commissioner’s Office was an important step in this process, and we view it as the beginning of a long-term and productive partnership that will enable us to implement these values.”
At the beginning of the meeting, Mariya Frey, a board member at Suspilne, noted that the organization unites more than 3,000 employees with diverse ages and experiences from all regions of the country: “We are focused on transforming the internal culture and creating conditions for the development of gender equality. Gender policy at Suspilne is not only about supporting women but also ensuring equal conditions for all employees, regardless of gender.”
We would like to highlight that Suspilne has already begun working on the Concept of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI), demonstrating its commitment to continuous improvement and supporting positive societal change.
“Suspilne is now a model for many media outlets, and its ongoing commitment to change reinforces this status. The company has not only implemented the policy in 2021 but is actively developing real mechanisms for its execution. I am pleased to participate in this process alongside other experts and grateful to the entire team for their trust,” said Liza Kuzmenko, head of Women in Media and invited expert.
Suspilne is an independent media company with extensive coverage across all platforms, including TV channels: Pershyi, Suspilne Culture, Suspilne Sports, and a national network of regional TV channels and radio stations: Ukraiinske Radio, Radio Promin, Radio Culture, and Radiotochka. Current news is available on the suspilne.media website, as well as on national and local digital platforms.
Suspilne broadcasts in the languages of national communities, represents Ukraine at Eurovision, develops the children’s project “Brobax,” and trains media professionals through the Public Media Academy. It is also worth mentioning Suspilne Mediateka, a platform featuring unique video and audio materials from the public archive, spanning from the 1950s to the present day.