Context
Russia’s full-scale invasion has radically transformed women’s roles in Ukrainian society — in sports, the military, volunteering, civic life, and professional spheres. At the same time, women are often portrayed in the media as part of the “background of war” rather than as active participants. The Vikna STB team chose a systematic format to consistently highlight women’s leadership and agency during wartime.
What has been done
Within the framework of the news and current affairs program, the team created the thematic video playlist “The Power of Women,” which brings together television stories about Ukrainian women from different fields — athletes, professionals, activists, and servicewomen.
Each episode centers on a woman’s personal story, her decisions, inner transformations, fears, and the responsibilities she has taken on during the war. One of the protagonists is Alina Shukh, a multiple world champion in athletics with an American education, who left her sports career and became a service member of the Khartiia Brigade in the Kharkiv region.
How it was implemented
The stories were produced as television reports for the national telethon “United News.” After broadcast, the reports were compiled into a dedicated playlist and adapted for digital audiences on YouTube, extending the lifespan of the content and expanding its reach.
“It was crucial for us to speak about women’s leadership not as a one-time topic but systematically, so that it becomes part of the everyday news agenda rather than an exception,” says Tymur Levchuk, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Starlight Media.
Impact
The playlist increased the visibility of women in traditionally “male” fields such as sports, the military, and public leadership. Audiences were offered concrete examples of women’s agency and active participation in defending the country.
The project contributes to an alternative narrative about women in wartime — not as passive witnesses to events, but as full-fledged agents of change and decision-making.
What other newsrooms can learn
- Work in series rather than through isolated stories; regularity helps establish a new narrative instead of presenting exceptional cases.
- Portray women through their decisions and responsibilities, not only through emotions or suffering.
- Repurpose broadcast content for digital platforms and new audiences.
- Integrate women’s leadership into mainstream news coverage rather than confining it to special projects.