The NGO Women in Media, in cooperation with the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, is launching a new leadership program for women in journalism — “Women Leaders in Media — Ukraine-EU Support Program,” within the framework of #CivilSocietyCooperation.
The program targets Ukrainian women working in national or regional media who already hold leadership positions — or aspire to take on leadership roles in their newsrooms. The project will run through the end of December 2025.
The goal of the program is to strengthen the role of women in media, promote inclusion and diversity, build partnerships with EU-based media and organizations, offer support through the power of sisterhood and solidarity, and collaboratively develop policies for gender equality and women’s leadership in Ukrainian media.
Expenses related to participation in the program — including tuition, travel, accommodation, and meals — are covered by the organisers.
Participants will benefit from:
- A series of online support group sessions for participants focused on leadership development — co-designed with the participants to reflect their real needs and challenges in the media sector.
- Offline conference and networking opportunities, creating a space for peer exchange, mutual support, and inspiration among women leaders in journalism.
- A learning and exchange trip to Berlin, Germany (tentatively in the second half of November 2025) — to connect with European colleagues on gender equality, media freedom, and media management, and to strengthen international cooperation.
- Individual recovery grants to support participants during the program and help them maintain professional resilience.
- New knowledge, tools, and partnerships that will stay with participants beyond the program and help foster positive changes in their newsrooms and communities.
- A certificate of completion of the program.
Selection Criteria
- Hold a leadership position in a newsroom (e.g. editor-in-chief, CEO, department head, executive director, etc.). In exceptional cases, we will consider applications from participants who do not formally hold a leadership title but can demonstrate — through their motivation letter and professional background — a clear influence on decision-making and organizational processes within their media outlet.
- Demonstrate strong motivation to participate, a desire to grow as a leader, and a readiness to implement positive changes in their media organization.
- Have at least pre-intermediate level of English (B1 or above), as interpretation will not be provided during the program in Germany.
- Be available to attend a two-day offline strategic session in Kyiv scheduled for around September 23–24.
- Be able to travel to Germany (approx. 7 days, including travel time) for the learning trip scheduled for the second half of November 2025.
- Be ready to attend at least 4 out of 5 online webinars.
- Be open to collaboration, peer learning, and co-developing a policy paper on advancing women’s leadership in Ukrainian media, and committed to implementing changes in their own editorial teams after the program.
We aim to build a diverse and inclusive cohort of participants, and strongly encourage applications from women with a variety of lived experiences, including:
- Internally displaced women (IDPs);
- Women living in rural areas;
- Women with disabilities or mothers of children with disabilities;
- Single mothers;
- Women from ethnic minority communities;
- Women whose partners serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Women from the LGBTQ+ community;
- And other women facing barriers to professional development.
The program is competitive.
Participants will be selected based on their application form, motivation letter, professional resume, and overall alignment with the program criteria.
Open call deadline: 23:59 on 24 August (Kyiv time)
Application form here.
#CivilSocietyCooperation