With the support of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the NGO Women in Media is launching the summer phase of its “Taking Care of Our Health” program. This phase focuses on women’s health, recognizing that many women media professionals postpone preventive check-ups and essential medical screenings due to the pressures of war, heavy workloads, and a lack of time.
As part of this phase of the program, we primarily provide financial support for preventive healthcare expenses, including:
- gynecological consultations;
- hormonal assessments and diagnostic tests;
- preventive care and early detection of breast conditions, including breast ultrasound examinations (ultrasound scans);
- consultations with an endocrinologist for hormonal disorders;
- care related to menstrual health and menopause;
- vision examinations and the purchase of prescription glasses.
This list is not exhaustive. Final decisions on support are made following the review of each application and its alignment with the objectives of the program.
Priority will be given to applications from women media leaders and women war correspondents, as they often work under intense pressure and make decisions that are critical to the functioning of newsrooms and the coverage of the war.
Program Objective
This program is about more than providing financial support to individual women media professionals. We want to highlight that systematic care for the health of women journalists should become the norm rather than the exception.
We encourage newsrooms to:
- introduce health insurance programs;
- allocate funding for medical and psychosocial support in their budgets;
- extend these opportunities not only to staff members but also to freelance women journalists;
- recognize the health and well-being of their teams as a key component of institutional resilience.
Media organizations cannot be truly resilient if their teams are working to the point of exhaustion and women journalists are forced to postpone essential medical check-ups because they cannot afford them.
How much funding is available?
Under this program, participants may receive reimbursement of up to UAH 8,000 per person. Funds are provided as reimbursement after the services have been received and supporting receipts have been submitted.
Women in Media covers all applicable taxes related to the reimbursement.
What does the support cover, and what is not covered?
The program covers expenses related to women’s health, as well as vision examinations and the purchase of prescription glasses. The following expenses are not eligible for reimbursement:
- dental services;
the purchase of medications; - medical treatment for children or other family members.
Important
- We do not ask applicants to disclose details about their health, and we guarantee the confidentiality of all information provided.
- After receiving the services, participants must submit receipts or invoices confirming payment for the services or items purchased.
- Participants are asked to share a brief post about their experience on social media, without disclosing any personal medical information.
- Your application should include a specific list of the medical services you are requesting, along with an estimated cost for each. General requests such as “UAH 8,000 for treatment” without a breakdown of the expected expenses will not be considered.
- We aim to support as many women media professionals as possible. Therefore, we kindly ask you to estimate your requested expenses responsibly and realistically.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/UBtiucM1TF4vWqyw6. Application deadline: 20 July 2026.
Confirmation emails will be sent only to selected applicants. Unfortunately, we are unable to support every application, but we are working to expand the program so it can reach more women media professionals.
We reserve the right to close the application process early if we receive 100 applications. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.
This (activity), implemented by (organization), is part of the Voices of Ukraine / SAFE support program, coordinated by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Voices of Ukraine / SAFE is implemented within the Hannah Arendt Initiative and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.