LocationsHer Voice – Her Power: How Ukrainian Women Are Shaping the Country’s Information Resilience
May 14, 2025
Women make up the majority of Ukraine’s media sector – 58% of all employees. Among journalists and presenters, this figure rises to 75% and 69% respectively. These statistics come from the Gender Profile of Ukrainian Media study, conducted by the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council in partnership with the NGO Women in Media. Women also outnumber men in media leadership positions (51% compared to 49%). However, despite this numerical advantage, women’s voices remain underrepresented in strategic discussions and public discourse – particularly on matters of information security. The Her Voice – Her Power campaign aims to change this imbalance.
To mark International Women’s Rights Day, the Centre for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and with financial support from the Government of Japan, launched an initiative to amplify the voices of women who are fighting information threats every day. As part of this project, a series of 18 short interviews were recorded with Ukrainian women who are combating disinformation – including analysts, journalists, communicators, civil society leaders, and government experts.
Among them are Alina Alieksieieva, Deputy Head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation; Anait Khoperia, Deputy Head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation; Liubov Tsybulska, strategic communications expert and former Head of the Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security; Oksana Moroz, founder of the “How Not to Become a Vegetable” initiative; Olha Kravchenko, Head of the national media literacy project Filter; Alona Romaniuk, journalist, fact-checker, and media expert; Yuliia Dukach, former Head of the Disinformation Research Department at Texty.org.ua and current Lead of Disinformation Research at OpenMinds; Diana Dutsyk, media expert and founder of the Ukrainian Institute of Media and Communication; Liudmyla Dolhonovska, former Strategic Communications Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now Professor at American University Kyiv; Hanna Krasnostup, Director of the Department for Strategic Communications and Promotion of Ukrainian Culture at the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine; Oksana Romaniuk, Director of the NGO Institute of Mass Information; Svitlana Slipchenko, Deputy Executive Director of the NGO Vox Ukraine; Olha Yurkova, co-founder of the StopFake project; Mariana Reva, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Natalia Nahorna, journalist and news presenter on the 1+1 TV channel; Yuliia Paievska (“Taira”), paramedic and volunteer; Oleksandra Hontar, editor and presenter at the YouTube channel “Telebachennya Toronto”; and Valentyna Aksonova, Communications Specialist at UNDP in Ukraine.
“We wanted to show that women are not only actively involved in the fight against disinformation – they are leading it. Their experience, vision, resilience, and professionalism shape the face of our information security,” says Alina Alieksieieva, Deputy Head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the NSDC of Ukraine and one of the campaign’s originators.
“At UNDP in Ukraine, tackling disinformation is a strategic priority. We consistently support initiatives that raise awareness, build resilience to manipulation, and promote critical thinking. This project is about equality, and about the power of truth,” adds Valentyna Aksonova, Communications Specialist at UNDP in Ukraine.
Voices of the Campaign
In short video interviews, the campaign’s heroines share their experiences in countering disinformation, speak about the challenges they face, give tips on how to identify fakes, and explain why perseverance is essential.
“I believe the strength of Ukrainian women lies in our resilience – a unique kind of resilience. Despite the stereotype that women are supposedly more emotional, we demonstrate that no matter the trials we endure, we continue to do our work,” says Svitlana Slipchenko, Deputy Executive Director at the NGO Vox Ukraine.
“We’ve truly become real warriors on the information front because we’ve come to understand what disinformation really is,” notes Mariana Reva, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“Steel weapons are extremely dangerous. But once you go down into a shelter, you are protected. Whereas information seeps in everywhere – straight into your heart, your mind,” shares Yuliia Paievska, known by the call sign “Taira”. A paramedic and volunteer, Yuliia was held in captivity for three months after the full-scale invasion began. Before the war, she worked as a book graphics designer and martial arts instructor.
“We must simply continue our work, without stopping,” says Anait Khoperia, Deputy Head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the NSDC of Ukraine.
Where to Watch
The full interview series is available on the official social media pages of the Centre for Countering Disinformation and UNDP in Ukraine — on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. The full playlist can be found via this link.
Support the “Her Voice – Her Power” Campaign!
Join the conversation on the role of women in media and information security. Share information about the initiative to inspire others to stand against disinformation and promote gender equality in the media space. Your voice and your engagement can become part of a greater mission – to create a safe and truthful media environment for everyone.
#HerVoiceHerPower
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