Ukrainska Pravda gender equality policy
General
We recognise that democracy means equal participation of women and men in public life.
Gender equality means the balanced representation, empowerment, responsibility and participation of both women and men in all spheres, including the media. Achieving gender equality is a prerequisite for social justice.
We are aware that gender equality exists in two dimensions of our work:
- Equality within the Ukrainska Pravda editorial team – equal opportunities and treatment, equal access to management positions, equal pay for the same type of work, and more.
- Equality in the content Ukrainska Pravda creates – maintaining a gender balance in the selection of experts, dismantling gender stereotypes, avoiding sexism, etc.
We stand for human rights, and therefore we understand that as a media outlet we can play a positive role in countering the spread of gender stereotypes. For this purpose, the editorial team of Ukrainska Pravda will make efforts to identify, understand and overcome such stereotypes.
This editorial gender policy is part of our commitment to our team, our partners, and our readership.
Representation of women and men in Ukrainska Pravda content
We strive to ensure that both men and women are mentioned equally in news and events. This better reflects the diversity of our society and represents the opinions and problems of different people.
In our reporting, we strive to promote a positive image of women as active participants in social, sporting, economic and political life.
Another aspect of this is the meaningful participation of women in our reporting as experts. We make every effort to give women a voice, rather than speaking about women indirectly or mentioning them only in passing.
We strive for a balanced representation of women and men by inviting female experts and professionals to comment on subjects where women are unfairly underrepresented, such as military affairs, the armed forces, politics, the economy, finance, etc., and not only on education, social affairs, culture and the arts.
We recognise that the principles of gender equality should apply across different types of editorial content, such as news reports, opinion pieces, comment, documentaries, interviews, talk shows and so on.
We will ensure gender equality across all the areas we cover: politics, the economy, science, technology, agriculture, sport and more.
We avoid inappropriate comments on the appearance of both women and men.
For example, we do not focus on their clothing, hairstyle or make-up, or ask whether they have time for family life or household duties when we are talking about individuals’ professions or jobs.
There is no place in our reporting for outdated stereotypical images of women such as the "homemaker", "Barbie" or "the weaker sex". Norms of behaviour, appearance or profession do not depend on gender.
We do not promote stereotypical images of femininity/womanliness and masculinity/manliness that impose the notion that certain behaviours, personal qualities or external features are mandatory for a person of either sex.
Visuals (illustrations, collages or photographs) are an important and integral part of our reporting. They can amplify the written text and therefore either promote the principles of equality or perpetuate gender stereotypes.
We take care to select visuals that align with our gender policy. In our work we do not emphasise the sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, race, disability, social or marital status of women or men unless it is an important, content-driven component of the story.
We consistently use feminine forms for job titles in line with Ukrainian grammar, considering this practice important for increasing the visibility of women’s social and political contributions. The use of the masculine form for women is possible in quotes, if the speakers insist on it, but not in reported speech or the author’s voice.
Overcoming sexism
In our reporting we avoid benevolent as well as hostile sexism. Benevolent sexism, like hostile sexism, discredits women, but in a more subtle, disguised way that can be mistaken for a compliment, such as describing women as "weak", "fragile" or "beautiful".
We check our writing using the inversion rule (also known as the "mirror rule") or role reversals to help illustrate the meaning of a stereotype. Would a certain statement be equally appropriate in a piece about a woman or about a man?
We recognise that adjectives such as "beautiful", "pretty", "weak", "strong" and so on are judgements based on the writer’s own perceptions of beauty and strength.
Through our reporting, we encourage change in the social and cultural behaviour patterns of women and men to eradicate prejudice and any customs, traditions or other practices that are based on the idea of women’s inferiority or stereotypical roles of women and men.
Coverage of domestic and gender-based violence
We avoid publishing content that promotes or could promote the sexualisation and/or objectification of women or men. Objectification is the treatment or presentation of a person solely as an object for the sexual satisfaction of others.
When covering domestic violence, we promote zero tolerance for violence in our content, recognising that responsibility for violence lies solely with the perpetrator and not the survivor. In line with our responsibility to our readers, we avoid excessive sensationalism in presenting information: we do not use stereotypical headlines and do not supplement written reports with deliberately shocking photographs or illustrations.
We emphasise the fact that a crime was committed rather than describing the details or the survivors’ emotions. We protect their confidentiality and consider the risks of retraumatisation.
We use non-judgmental language that directs no blame towards those who have suffered, and we avoid victim-blaming. For example, we do not use phrases such as "It was her own fault", "She asked for it", "She brought it on herself", "The way she was dressed", "Why did she go there in the first place?", etc.
We use general information and statistics to present gender-based violence as a social problem, not as an individual personal tragedy or a crime news item.
We recognise that responsible journalism can shine a light on a problem or phenomenon, whereas careless coverage of sensitive topics can exacerbate the situation and expose survivors to additional risk.
We distinguish between consensual sexual activity and criminal acts. We avoid phrases such as "fulfilment of marital duties", "courting", "paying attention" and "expressing feelings" in relation to sexual offences or rape.
We only use correct terminology in our reporting – for example, "survivor", "person who survived a traumatic experience" or "person who suffered from violence" instead of "victim", if the person who suffered violence survived. The word "victim" is stigmatising.
Coverage of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV)
In reporting on conflict-related sexual violence, we recognise that it is one of the most challenging tasks in journalism and requires thorough preparation.
We recognise that sexual violence is a war crime and entails severe physical, psychological, social and economic consequences for survivors and witnesses, and is also profoundly destabilising to society.
When preparing such coverage, we necessarily ensure a balance between our right to publish information in the public interest and our responsibility to protect survivors, as well as the impact this information may have on our readers. We avoid excessive sensationalism.
We see survivors of sexual violence as individuals, which means that their safety, health and dignity are our highest priority above all other goals.
We will refuse a direct interview with a survivor if there is a concern that this would contribute to retraumatisation. In such cases, we will record interviews with psychologists, lawyers or social workers who provide services to survivors.
We understand that contact with the media may expose survivors to risks of revictimisation, reprisals, stigmatisation, information risks, and other risks.
We respect the right of sexual violence survivors to control and autonomy, and therefore we do not contact them without prior notice. If we believe that direct contact could harm a person, we will use all options available to us to reach them via an intermediary – a lawyer or a loved one. We will only consider direct contact if no other options are available.
We will ensure comfort for survivors during the interview to avoid retraumatisation. Signs of retraumatisation may include visible emotional distress, crying, restlessness, aloofness, passivity, or outbreaks of anger. If such signs appear, we will show our empathy, offer a break or, if necessary, stop the conversation, with the person’s consent.
We encourage CRSV survivors to always have a "third party" with them, such as a family member or someone else they can trust, during the interview. We guarantee that we will not put pressure on survivors, forcing them to disclose information about their experience of violence.
We will make it clear that survivors may decline to answer any question. We respect the decision of sexual violence survivors to end the interaction at any time.
We make sure to clearly inform survivors which of their photographs, audio and/or video will be published through our media and for what purpose. We believe that a core element of our responsibility is to avoid inflicting further harm on those who have already experienced violence. This is part of our responsibility to readers and to the public at large.
We will ensure that survivors are informed that their names and/or photographs may be made public and visible worldwide for an unlimited period of time, and of the consequences of such disclosure (including the fact that the information to be disclosed will remain publicly available and cannot be hidden). When publishing any materials featuring children who have experienced traumatic events, their faces and/or personal details that could identify them must be concealed.
Implementation of this policy
This policy is in writing and publicly available. We apply it in practice in our daily work at Ukrainska Pravda. All employees, whether full- or part-time, or freelancers, are required to comply with this policy in their work (or within the scope of their cooperation with Ukrainska Pravda’s editorial board), regardless of their own views.
The editor-in-chief and the editors of individual Ukrainska Pravda projects are responsible for the implementation of this policy. All our employees are aware of this policy.
This policy is reviewed and updated at regular intervals to meet such new challenges as may arise.