Working in the media remains an area where the majority of employees are women. According to the study ‘Gender Profile of Ukrainian Media’ conducted by the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting in cooperation with the NGO Women in Media, in 2024, women accounted for 58% of media workers, while men accounted for 42%. Compared to last year, the share of women increased by 5%.
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Distribution by professional roles
Despite the overall equality in terms of numbers, women are less represented in leadership positions. Among journalists and anchors, 70-80% are women, which underscores the traditional perception of these professions as more ‘feminine’. Among top media executives, women make up 51%, and among department heads – 54%. That is, the lower the level of responsibility in management, the higher the proportion of women.
A significant number of women also work in communications and marketing – 64%. However, men still have an advantage in technical professions, such as software development, with 53%.
Among freelancers in the media, women account for 62%, which may indicate their desire for more flexible working hours or the lower availability of permanent positions in traditional media.
Differences between media types
The study shows that the gender balance differs by media type. In print media, women make up 61% of the staff, but only 50% of the top management. In online media, the share of women is even higher – 69%, and among top executives, 57%. In the audiovisual media, women make up 64% of journalists and 78% of department heads, which is relatively high.
Age distribution
In terms of age, there is a different trend: the older the age group, the more men are among the managers. For example, in the 61+ age group, 78% of top managers are men, while women make up only 22%.
Despite the positive developments, there are a number of challenges. The main issues include:
- Lower representation of women in media management, especially in the older age group.
- Gender stereotypes that influence the distribution of roles in the media.
- Lack of visibility of women in key socio-political topics, such as military and political journalism.
Ultimately, the Ukrainian media landscape is gradually moving towards a gender balance, but a number of challenges remain related to gender inequality in leadership and professional roles. Implementation of equality policies, educational initiatives and projects, public statements and events on gender issues could make the media environment more inclusive and fair.
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