Gender Monitor
September 1997
Vol. 1, No. 2

Copyright 1997, All rights reserved
Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR)

UKRAINIAN NEWSPAPERS HIGHLIGHT WOMEN'S ISSUES

This project became possible due to a grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

For the monitoring purpose, we selected the most demonstrative national periodicals:

1. Formally state-owned press: Holos Ukrainy (GU), and Uriadovyi Kurrier (UK)
   
2. Formally independent press: Zerkalo Nedeli (ZN), Den (D), Nezavisimost (N), Chas (Ch), Region (R), Vseukrainskie Vedomosti (VV), Kievskie Vedomosti (KV), Pravda Ukrainy (PU), Demokratychna Ukraina (DU), Molod Ukrainy (MU), Ukraina Moloda (UM), Kievskie Novosti (KN), "Fakty" (F).

Total number of references to women's issues in the context of political, economic and social problems: 20, including: 2 interviews; 12 problem articles; 6 information briefs.

In September, Ukrainian newspapers paid much attention to the situation of orphans, child mortality and babies left in maternity wards. Apparently, the officials expressed anxiety over the demographic situation in the state and the "children's" topic started to receive ample coverage. In fact, there is every reason to be worried.

In 1996, 19 women left their new babies in the sole maternity ward of the city of Chernigiv (MU, 5 September 1997). The economic situation in Ukraine does not encourage the growth of birth rate.

The grim proof of how women cope with their economic hardships can be found in two articles. The first, "I Will Give Birth For Money" (KV, 4 September 1997), describes a mother of a large family offering to give birth to a baby later to be given to a rich childless couple in order to raise some money to feed her other children. The second, "You've Got Children, So Think How to Cope" (UM, 6 September 1997), was in fact a letter to the editor from a mother of a large family who requests support as she has no money to pay for food and medicine.

Although issues concerning children do not necessarily have to involve women, this monitoring will refer to only a few materials about them.

The issue of teenage pregnancy and motherhood is addressed in the article "Young Moms at School Desk" (VV, 10 September 1997). The article is about the first school for underage mothers to be opened in Kherson within the framework of a complex regional program of assisting young families. The project (approved by the International Guide Organization) is implemented by the Kherson Palace of Children and the Youth. There is some hope that the initiative will open the way for the first actions of good treatment of teenage mothers by the society.

The issue is further addressed in an article "In Ukraine You May Get Married at 17, But You May Have Babies Only After You Are 18" (D, 10 September 1997). According to the Order of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health Care- "On Abortion"- dated May 5, 1994, one of the medical conditions for the abortion is "young organism under 18". According to author Olga Yatsenko, there is a legal side of this problem: parents may decide that their daughter should have an abortion even if the girl herself does not want it. The medical law runs counter to the right to get married at 17. Furthermore, it is the violation of the girls' right to give birth, and it is highly ineffective as a state-sponsored birth control method.

An important issue was raised in an article "Daddy, Let's Buy a New Mom!", or: Anti-Feminist Notes About Equal Rights of Parents (D, 12 September 1997). The article discusses the priority right of women to keep children after the couple is divorced. According to author Irina Shipovska, the norm limits men in their rights as parents. Quoting an example of a single father left by his ex-wife with a child, she comes to an unexpected conclusion, mixing up feminism with traditional distribution of gender roles in which a women has the priority when her children are concerned. Under the Ukrainian law, a father can receive custody of the children only if the mother dies, is imprisoned, is absent for a long time, or does not object to her ex-husband taking the children. In fact, the author's objections contradict the feminist demand of equality. Furthermore, the author regards women as guilty of the policy, accusing them of denying the men the "right" to do hard and boring housework and, thus, to discover their best, strongest male side. She makes a "shocking" conclusion: "They [men] can do that [i.e., housework] as well as we can!"

An article "Is Polygamy Possible in Ukraine" (KV, 23 September 1997) also appears symptomatic. The author refers to the abolition of criminal liability for "hiding circumstances that prevent the marriage" (Article 197 of the Criminal Code, 1992), i.e., the prohibition of polygamy. However, the matter of discussion is the possibility for men to have several wives, while nothing is said for the same possibility for women.

Almost all materials about sexual harassment and rape are rather controversial. For instance, an article by Ludmila Zahladna "How Much Is The Girls' Honor?" (F, 2 September 1997) argues that rape victims often withdraw their accusations and start justifying the rapists after being offered money as compensation. Some even invent rape stories to demand money from men. Ignoring other aspects of the problem, the author appears to imply that young women themselves provoke sexual harassment and violence.

Another article on this issue describes a scandal in which the deputy chairman of the Division of Sports and Health Care of the Humanitarian Policy Department of the Presidential Administration was accused of sexual harassment of Ukrainian gymnasts at the Summer Students' Games in Italy (KV, 10 September 1997). Although the article appears to be a trump card in a political campaign of discrediting the Presidential Administration, the publication is the first piece of its kind in the Ukrainian press.

Similarly, another article, titled "Hard-core Porn" (KV, 24 September 1997) accused the Kiev-based RELCOM provider of disseminating child pornography via the Internet.

Another new aspect of coverage of gender issues by the Ukrainian media concerned the detention of a 22-year-old female accused of performing several contract killings in Kiev. In the interpretation of Ukrainian newspaper, the most remarkable of the killing was the killer's gender.

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Women in Politics, Business and Society:

KV (8 September 1997). Three people were asked "What Kind of Boss Is Better: Male or Female?" The respondents, a man and a woman, said it was better to have a male boss "because women are more emotional". Another respondent, a female artist said gender made no difference and that the only thing that mattered was professionalism; otherwise the choice would feel like discrimination. I wonder what made the journalists ask that question.

KV (9 September 1997). The newspaper reported the dismissal of Ms. Ludmila Kobernyk from the position of the mayor of Kherson after the court found her guilty of corruption and power abuse. Specifically, she was accused of misusing local budget funds for hiring personal bodyguards for about US$ 8,650, and had to pay 425 hryvnyas (about US$ 230) in fines.

UK (27 September 1997), published a highly positive article about professional skills of Valentyna Tatarchuk, a female chairman of the Luhansk Regional Department of Finance.

KV (30 September 1997), published an interview with new Minister of Justice, Ms. Suzanna Stanik in which she discusses conflict with ex- Minister of Justice Serhiy Holovatyi. The article stressed Ms. Stanik's statement, "My position in life is: sometimes, having to cope with string opponents, you become more clever yourself".

D (26 September 1997) presented an article describing Ms. Oleksandra Kuzhel, MP as a woman "with a guitar and without politics". In the interview, Ms. Kuzhel, a prominent economist and a campaigner for free enterprise, talks about her hobby of singing and about her experience in organizing her own amateur concerts in Zaporizhya. She also addressed her career growth, emphasizing her strong will and the desire to be involved. Stressing the image of herself as a strong woman, she speaks about the hardships of combining her work as an MP with her household work as well as raising a family.

In September, national newspapers referred to activities of women's organizations only three times.

Ch (10 September 1997), "Women's Movement in Ukraine: Historic Aspect and Modern Development", presented a speech made by the head of the Union of Ukrainian Women, Athena Pashko, at the meeting of the women's section of the Second World Forum of Ukrainians.

KV (22 September 1997), published an article entitled "When We Grow Up, We'll Take a Revenge" which describes a roundtable organized by the head of the All-Ukrainian Committee for Protection of Children, Natalia Petrova, and the Kievskie Vedomosti newspaper to address the lack of legal protection of minor orphans. The roundtable presented a good example of cooperation between a women's NGO and a popular daily newspaper.

KV (20 September 1997), published an article entitled "Union of Ukrainian Women vs Women of Ukraine", a brief information piece about a conflict between the two organizations at the presentation of the Lviv regional organization of the new political party, Women of Ukraine. Even taking into account that negative coverage is also a kind of advertisement, in the context of almost complete absence of information about women's organizations this piece will hardly contribute to growing popularity of the women's issues.

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State Policy

UK (6 September 1997) "The Family: Accord and Love", by Mr. Oleksandr Sytnyk, first Deputy Minister for Family and Youth Affairs.

VV (9 September 1997), informed readers about the initiative of Minister for Family and Youth Affairs, Valentyna Dovzhenko, to gather female MPs of this and previous parliaments to discuss mechanisms of improving the situation of women, families and children. However, the newspaper added a weird remark: "One thing is unclear: if everything is so serious, why they did not invite male MPs? Without men, neither families nor children can be made." The sarcastic comment appears highly inadequate but representative of Ukrainian newspapers' attitude to the women's issues.

UM (13 September 1997) published "And God Created a Woman" - a positive piece of information about a meeting with women by members of the Ukrainian parliament at the Ministry for Family and Youth Affairs. The meeting was also mentioned by the GU, 13 September 1997, "Look for a Woman!".

Finally, an interview "Three Dimensions of Oksana Zabuzhko" (VV, 24 September 1997) calls for attention by its interpretation of love, resistance to stereotypes imposed on women by the society, and the attitude to the interviewee's own scandalous reputation as a writer: "The Snow-White should keep silence. Otherwise the difference between the Snow-White and the Witch will be too small for men to see".

Another discussion of gender in art is found in an article entitled "Discussion of Modernism in Ukrainian Literature" by Solomia Pavlychko (KV, 13 September 1997) which discusses whether a prominent XIX-century Ukrainian writer, Lesya Ukrainka, was a Lesbian.

Last updated:    November 1997

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