Context
Urban toponymy is an important element of cultural memory and symbolic space that reflects social values and hierarchies. Historically, Ukrainian cities have demonstrated a significant gender imbalance in the names of streets, squares, and public objects, with women’s names being minimally represented or absent altogether.
During the period of decolonization and rethinking of the Soviet legacy, gender equality in urban space has become especially relevant. Local media play a key role in explaining the meaning of these changes and showing how civic initiatives can influence the symbolic visibility of women in public space.
What Was Done
The online publication 0564.ua produced a series of articles dedicated to the initiative “Rivni u Kryvomu” (Equal in Kryvyi Rih) and the implementation of the “Feminist Quarter” project in Kryvyi Rih.
The materials:
- showed that during 2023–2024 the city received more than 60 toponyms named after women;
- highlighted the importance of women’s visibility in urban space;
- addressed gender imbalance, historical injustice, and ways to overcome it;
- centered on an interview with Olha Kostina, founder of the Rivni u Kryvomu initiative and creator of the Feminist Quarter project.
How It Was Implemented
The editorial team used a comprehensive approach that combined an in-depth interview with the project initiator and a series of news and analytical articles about events and lectures held within the Feminist Quarter project.
Among the published materials were:
- “Why Rights Are Not Given but Taken: The Third ‘FemQuarter’ in Kryvyi Rih Opened with a Lecture on Emancipatory Movements”;
- “How to Use Feminine Job Titles Correctly: A Lecture on Feminine Forms at ‘FemQuarter 3.0’”;
- “‘Stop Cheburashka’: How Women in a Feminist Collage Workshop in Kryvyi Rih Reclaimed the Meaning of March 8.”
This format made it possible to present gender equality not as an abstract idea but as a process of real changes in urban space driven by civic activism.
Impact
The series increased the visibility of women in the symbolic space of the city and helped explain the significance of toponymic changes to a broader audience.
The materials:
- demonstrated that gender equality can have concrete and measurable outcomes;
- showed the role of civic initiatives in transforming urban space;
- contributed to understanding local changes as part of broader social processes.
What Other Media Can Learn From This
- Use local cases to demonstrate how gender equality is implemented in practice, not only at the level of declarations.
- Explain the symbolic significance of changes in urban space—street names, memorial objects, and other elements of cultural memory.
- Combine interviews with experts and activists with a series of thematic materials to provide deep and consistent coverage.
- Show the connection between civic activism and tangible results, inspiring other communities to launch similar initiatives.
- Speak about gender equality through the language of urban life, demonstrating how it affects the everyday experiences of residents.