Медіа: Suspilne

Visibility of Women in Spiritual Ministry During Wartime

Context

Russia’s full-scale invasion has made chaplaincy an essential part of support for military personnel. At the same time, women’s role in spiritual ministry remains largely invisible and is often devalued both within the military environment and in religious communities. Gender bias, distrust toward women as spiritual leaders, and the lack of official recognition create additional barriers for those who work directly with trauma, loss, and crises of faith on the front line.

Suspilne chose a documentary format to raise a difficult question without simplification or moralizing: Can and should a woman be a military chaplain, and what does the reality of war reveal about that question?

What has been done

Suspilne produced the documentary anthology “Chaplain Women: Prayer in Hell”, dedicated to the experiences of women chaplains during the full-scale war. The film follows three women who provide spiritual support to soldiers, work with profound trauma, loss, and doubt, and simultaneously face distrust and prejudice regarding their role.

The documentary portrays chaplaincy without heroization or romanticization — through fatigue, fear, faith, and crises of faith. The protagonists’ stories become the basis for a broader conversation about women’s place in military and religious institutions and about how war reshapes ideas of spiritual leadership.

How it was implemented

  • The film was produced as an anthology, allowing different experiences and contexts of chaplaincy to be presented.
  • The narrative is built around the protagonists’ lived experiences, without imposed judgments, preaching, or simplistic conclusions.
  • After the premiere, the project was accompanied by public discussions that expanded the conversation from the screen into the public sphere.

Impact

“Chaplain Women: Prayer in Hell” became one of Suspilne’s most resonant documentary projects. After the premiere, the team received hundreds of responses from viewers who said that the film “helped them feel the meaning of faith again” and revealed a previously invisible part of women’s work that is often ignored or undervalued.

The project sparked public debate about women’s role in the military system and the need for official recognition of women chaplains within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In this way, the film moved beyond being a cultural product and became a tool for social dialogue.

The documentary received the International Women and the World Film Festival (IFFWW) Award for Best Feature-Length Television Film and won the Ivan Franko Prize in the category Best Work in Television.

What other newsrooms can learn

  • Make women visible in traditionally “male” roles by focusing on their professional function and lived experience rather than presenting them as exceptional or unusual.
  • Cover sensitive topics without heroization or moralizing, allowing audiences to draw their own conclusions from real stories and context.
  • Use documentary storytelling as a tool for public dialogue, especially on issues that require institutional change.
  • Extend on-screen stories through public discussions involving experts, institutions, and audiences.
  • Plan for impact during production by creating opportunities for screenings, discussions, educational use, and advocacy after release.

Responsible Representation of LGBTQI+ People in Documentary Storytelling

Context

The workplace is a space where people spend a significant part of their lives, yet for many LGBTQI+ people it remains unsafe. Fear of stigma, prejudice, and losing one’s job forces people to hide their identity, which directly affects mental health, burnout, and professional fulfillment. Suspilne chose a documentary format to address this issue without sensationalism or dramatization — through real lived experience.

What was done

Suspilne produced the short documentary “Vacancy: Human”, which explores the experiences of LGBTQI+ people at work. The film is built around the stories of two protagonists, Katya and Demian, who openly speak about fear, silence, pressure, and their path toward acceptance in a professional environment.

The documentary is supplemented by expert commentary and statistical context. According to the NGO Tochka Opory UA, 37 out of 40 surveyed LGBTQI+ people conceal their identity at work due to fear of changes in attitudes from colleagues and management. The protagonists’ personal stories become an argument for openness as a factor that can reduce burnout and strengthen team resilience.

How it was implemented

  • The film was produced in partnership with the NGO Tochka Opory UA.
  • Safe participation conditions and a trauma-sensitive approach were ensured for the protagonists during filming.
  • The documentary uses the metaphor of a shared painting as a symbol of acceptance and coexistence within a team.
  • After its release, the film was presented at two job fairs as a starting point for discussions on inclusive recruitment and workplace culture.

“It was crucial for us not to ‘speak about’ people, but to give them the opportunity to speak in the first person — without translating their experience for someone else,” says Anastasiia Hudyma, Director of the Department for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunities at Suspilne Broadcasting and a member of the editorial board.

Impact

  • After the release, the team received dozens of responses from LGBTQI+ people who said it was the first time they had seen a non-stereotypical and non-demeaning representation of their experience in Ukrainian media.
  • Some viewers admitted that after watching the film they felt encouraged to apply for jobs at Suspilne; several of them now work in different divisions of the media group. This demonstrated that responsible representation can influence not only audience trust but also a media organization’s ability to attract new professionals and foster a safer internal culture.
  • The film’s protagonist Katya began speaking openly about her identity after participating in the project and now conducts trainings on leadership and acceptance.
  • On social media, the film received hundreds of supportive comments with no documented negative reactions.
  • “Vacancy: Human” won second place at the 5th International Television Festival “Heart of Europe” in the category Short Documentary Film (Warsaw).

What other newsrooms can learn

  • Give voice to vulnerable groups without reducing their experiences solely to trauma.
  • Collaborate with relevant civil society organizations according to the principle “Nothing about us without us.”
  • Use documentary storytelling as a tool for changing attitudes and professional practices — not only to inform audiences but also to influence newsroom culture and the labor market.

Implementing a Systemic Approach to Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

What Exactly Was Implemented: DEI Internal Policies and Practices

In August 2025, the Supervisory Board and the Board of Suspilne approved the Concept for an Inclusive Approach in Content Production and Team Work, the first systemic document defining the vision, principles, and steps to implement diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) at all the levels of company activity. The concept encompasses both the institutional level (equal opportunities, internal processes, team culture) and the content level (representation, sensitivity, inclusion of various voices in materials by Suspilne). This is the first document of its kind among Ukrainian media, which also garnered interest among some European media (in Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, etc.) to develop similar ones in their countries.

When and Why It Was Decided to Implement It

The team began working on the Concept in September 2024, understanding that real inclusion must manifest itself in everyday practices and become systematic work. The document was based on the need to ensure that Suspilne encompasses the full diversity of Ukrainian society and remains a media outlet where everyone can see a reflection of themselves.

Suspilne engaged internal company specialists and external experts, both Ukrainian and international, who co-authored various thematic parts of the document, including international experts from the European Broadcasting Union, of which Suspilne is a member, and representatives of communities about which we create content (this is crucial). It became a space for dialogue, in which different points of view were transformed into a shared vision.

Ukrainian experts developed executive summaries in six thematic parts of the Concept and held thematic workshops for our team. Afterward, the team of the Department for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunities (which was established in April 2024: another example of growth and understanding of the importance of this topic in the Public Broadcasting system) drafted the document, ran it by the experts and communities and developed the final text.

This text became a foundation for the topics of inclusion, diversity, and equality, which often remain on the sidelines. Within its teams, the broadcasting company developed presentations, information cards, and other activities explaining the provisions of this document. The communication tools include an internal chat and an information dashboard (including regional subsidiaries of the company) collecting questions and feedback about a particular topic.

How This Affected the Newsroom

The concept united different teams around joint values and laid the groundwork for systemic changes: Suspilne is adjusting editorial policies and HR processes. The company has acquired more internal understanding of equality-related topics, started a series of workshops on gender sensitivity, inclusive language, barrier-free setup, age diversity, and the topic of veterans. Changes in the content have also been noticeable: stories by Suspilne have been featuring a diverse range of people increasingly often.

The process of development and approval of the Concept Implementation Plan is currently ongoing (scheduled for December 2025), and it will involve a significant part of Suspilne teams, since it will include the implementation of sign language in cultural projects and audio description for documentary projects. It is also planned to continue ensuring a 50:50 gender balance in all the content on Suspilne and to set up the publication of news in an accessible language in an Easy News format.

Gender Audit

In 2025, Suspilne became the first and only large media company in Ukraine to have an independent gender audit conducted. A gender audit is a systematic assessment of policies, management processes, HR practices, and corporate culture through the lens of equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination.

The independent audit was carried out by Women in Media NGO with International Media Support (IMS). The research was conducted over May–August 2025 as part of the project “United for Equality in the Media: Promoting Gender Equality through Cooperation of Civil Society Organizations, the Media, and the Authorities.”

“We decided to take this step to objectively assess the state of equality within the company, identify barriers, and create a roadmap for further adjustments. It was important for us to not only declare the principles of inclusion but also to confirm them with specific actions,” shares Anastasiia Hudyma.  

The audit was an important step in building trust and openness within the team. 521 employees participated in the survey; 86% indicated that gender equality is important to them, and 85% said that gender does not affect career opportunities. The process of discussing the results brought together different departments, provided an opportunity to hear the voices from the regions, and initiated a culture of internal reflection.

The audit results laid the foundation for the implementation of the Action Plan for Integration of Gender Equality Principles, development of online trainings, and regular monitoring. The action plan is not public but rather implemented by an internal working group; it is carried out both on a strategic level (such as workshops) and at the level of everyday practices (including purchasing period hygiene products for bathrooms).

Further Newsroom Plans

Anastasiia Hudyma, Director of the DEI Department at Suspilne, says that the company is currently working on improving content accessibility for people with low hearing and vision, particularly by introducing sign language interpreting and audio descriptions. According to Ms. Hudyma, this requires significant financial resources, since it requires not only equipment but also engaging SL interpreters, narrators, studio adaptation specialists, and actors. Simultaneously, Suspilne conducts internal workshops for employees explaining the importance of creating such content even when the audience requiring it is rather small.

She also points out the complexity of the systematic introduction of nouns in feminine forms in internal documentation, which is connected with the organization’s size, established administrative formats, and the need for coordination with the existing regulatory framework.

According to her, an additional challenge is the low engagement of employees in training programs. Suspilne therefore sees the need to develop a new internal learning model, which would combine online modules, practical cases, and mentor support, as well as engage external experts on various subjects, from gender equality to accessibility and ethics.

In addition, Ms. Hudyma notes that Suspilne strives to implement parenthood support policies but encounters restrictions due to government funding, which prevents the company from introducing additional social benefits or support packages.