Gender Monitor
October 1997
Vol. 1, No. 3

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

UKRAINIAN NEWSPAPERS ON GENDER 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).

The monitoring project has been in operation for three months. Therefore, this issue will include, in addition to the last month's digest, some general considerations and impressions from reading the Ukrainian press.

In October 1997, we counted 16 references to political, public and economic aspects of women's activities, including eight interviews, five problem articles and three brief information pieces.

Among a number of materials on demographic issues, let us consider only one article, "Where Do Babies Come From", published in Vseukrainskie Vedomosti on October 8, 1997. The article represents a very naturalistic description of a severely complicated delivery. Probably, the newspaper intended to impress its readers by depicting the coarse reality of life, but in our view, there has been too many description of violent things in the press.

In October, the national press presented no substantial problem materials discussing the social status of women. Only the Pravda Ukrainy (October 24, 1997) published yet another piece about hard life of a teenage railway station prostitute which, nevertheless, displayed a slight admixture of romanticism (""Matrons" Contemptuously Call Them "Minors""). After reading such materials some might assume that the newspaper intended to advertise the occupation, especially taking into account the growing number of publications on this issue. As if there are no other women's problems.

There is another noteworthy tendency in the Ukrainian press: to create a threatening image of a woman. A substantial amount of newspaper space is used for description of women's involvement in crime. The trend started with a wave of publications about a female killer. In October, criminal reports were represented by an article in Fakty i Komentari (October 25, 1997) "I Have Not "Earned" the Four Years I've Served". An interview with a women sentenced to death penalty discusses conditions in which women have to live in Ukrainian prisons. On October 29, 1997, the Vseukrainskie Vedomosti focused attention on another aspect of the problem: "Woman Sentenced Woman to Death". The newspapers also continued to discuss the topic of women murdering their new babies (see, for instance, the article in the Kievskie Vedomosti (October 25, 1997) "A nineteen-Year-Old Gave Birth And Killed Her New Daughter?" These publications leave practically no room for articles about sexual harassment and violence against women. No articles on these issues were published last month. Sometimes headlines are more remarkable than the contents. For instance, Fakty i Komentari (October 28, 1997) published an article titled "Acting Prosecutor General Oleg Lytvak "Rape and Murder have Existed and Will Exist. Crime Can Be Stopped by Economic Conditions". The article is written in such a way as if to suggest that cases of rape and murder depend on economic circumstances. In fact, as it becomes obvious from the text, the chief prosecutions official said the opposite, but are their many people who care to read an interview with Acting prosecutor general? However, there is a strong probability that all readers will notice the headline.

As the election time comes closer, newspapers publish a growing number of interviews with women.

Molod Ukrainy (October 10, 1997), "Trying To Change Live For Better" published an interview with Mrs. Maria Zilgalova-Kovach, head of the Transcarpathian social service and governess of the Uzhgorod credit union, "Khosen". The interview focused on women's inequality and social stereotypes in treating women: "There was time when I was known only as Vasyl Zilgalov's wife. Within the recent three years, I have found my place in the society even without using this name, known in Uzhgorod." However, the material itself displays a number of stereotypes like, for instance, the journalist's question at the beginning: "How do you feel being a leader?" The question would sound inappropriate when asked from a male interviewee, but, notwithstanding the generally praising tone of the interview, this usual "detail" went unnoticed. It is unclear whether such interviews with questions like that and indifferent responses do any good to gender awareness.

The Democratychna Ukraina (October 23, 1997) published an interview "Delicate Woman Patches Pathway for Low-Quality Goods" featuring the head of the State Committee for Standards, Metrology and Certification. Notwithstanding the title that appears to stress female features of the person, the publication contained no reference to women's issues, discussing the female leader's professional duties instead.

The Vseukrainskie Vedomosti (October 23, 1997), published an interview with leader of the Donetsk regional organization of the Ukrainian People's Movement Rukh, "Valentyna Protsenko Has Avoided Influential Men All Her Life". The publication traditionally focused on the typical character: she has lived a hard life, but her optimism, energy, family support and professionalism leave no doubt about her success.

On October 28, 1997, the Vseukrainskie Vedomosti published a material "Natalia Vitrenko: Obviously, I Cannot Compare With Pugacheva", an interview with Natalia Vitrenko, MP, discussing her political image of a bright and well-known personality, a scandal-maker. Stressing her femininity, Mrs. Vitrenko presents it as an additional feature of her revolutionary appeal and her opposition to the current situation: "If one allow to step on a woman, the children that grow up in the society, will grow into brutes. A normal parliament should protect women. But this bourgeois deteriorating body has done nothing of the kind." The other day the Kievskie Vedomosti published another interview with her, titled "Natalia Vitrenko: I Don't Want To Be Either President Or Prime Minister". The material stressed only her professional merits, and Mrs. Vitrenko mentioned herself being a woman only to illustrate one of her considerations and to emphasize her motherhood instincts.

On October 14, 1997, the Den dedicated the whole page to present different feminist perspectives. The three materials represented three points expressed in subtitles: (1) Ukrainian women are guaranteed only the right to live in the world of men's priorities; (2) women's problems should addressed together with other issues; (3) under the current conditions, the feminist movement is a representation of women's self-imposed slavery. Let us discuss these pieces in more detail.

"Image of Protectress Instead of Equal Opportunities" by Tetiana Khorunzha discusses inequality of women and men in Ukraine and the authorities' reluctance to deal with the issue. As an example, the author refers to the issue of contraception: "In the whole world, they speak about reproductive rights, while here we continue to linger about the duty to continue the kin." The article addressed the problems encountered by women in the labor market. Regretfully, emotional statements are not supported by arguments and facts and may not appear convincing to an average reader.

"Feminist Anti-Feminism" by Bohdan Kostiuk of the Radio Liberty presents a typical - for Ukraine - perspective on the women's issue: the problem is recognized as substantial but impossible to address before other social problems.

"On Harmful Combination of Social and Sexual" by Dr. Tetiana Meteliova displays extreme anti-feminism combined with striking ignorance: it argues that "feminism is a typical game of self- expression for women who have not found possibilities for realizing themselves in other kinds of games, for instance, culture or politics." While the author obviously claims psycho- analytical insights, she definitely displays the desire to prove her own successful professional self-expression. Any other motifs for writing the article remain obscure.

On October 15, 1997, the Den published an interview with the Ukrainian Minister of Justice, "Suzana Stanik: Minister of Justice Must Be Only A Politician of Law". While the interview discussed only professional aspects and contained no references to gender issues, it was pleasant to note that a female minister was not perceived as something extraordinary.

On October 17, 1997, the Vseukrainskie Vedomosti discussed participation of daughters in their fathers' political activities, and the Holos Ukrainy informed about Hilary Clinton's planned visit to Lviv.

On October 30, 1997, the Fakty i Komentari wrote: "Ukrainian Business Lady's Image: Covert Gender Discrimination in Business Circles". For the first time since the launch of this project, the interview with Valentina Halicheva, president of the Kronos&Co. investment company, addressed the problem of discrimination against women in the business community. Usually business ladies avoid discussing this topic, but, according to Mrs. Halicheva, business competition is tougher for women: "Sometimes I can feel with my skin that I am regarded as a second-rate creature, as "only a woman"... Serious business is a tough world, in which nobody takes into account the "weak sex"." The article also discusses sexual harassment by bosses and colleagues.

The only material about activities of women's organizations was a publication in the Molod Ukrainy (October 21, 1997), "If Only Men Knew...", an interview with Halina Chomytsa, head of the Lviv regional organization of the Women of Ukraine party. The publication resembled more a chat with a housewife that took up politics for fun than an interview with a female professional: the lengthy discussion of why pretty women get involved in politics, followed by discussion of male politicians from the point of their male attractiveness, like "I like them [i.e., male politicians] straight, tall, well-built and carefully groomed." The interviewer chose to pick up the tone of the conversation: "You are a very attractive woman. You could be a model in a well- off office... What kind of a man will you vote for at the election?" No wonder that talks about equal opportunities for men and women become irrelevant and false in this context. Unlike careful female politicians, female artists regularly create the image of a talented independent women in the national media. The most remarkable material of this kind - A Woman Should Be Born A Genius To Be Recognized As Talented" - was published in the Nezavisimost and presented an interview with Emma Andrievska, a Ukrainian artist and writer who lives in Germany. The piece discusses women's participation in arts: "Is it easy for a woman in literature, in arts? My answer is: it's as hard as hell. It's enough for a man to be simply talented to be viewed as a genius, but a woman must be born a genius to be recognized as talented." In general, women involved in arts or show business are more relaxed and brave in their statements and views than female politicians and business ladies. From the perspective of advancing awareness of gender equality, it is worth noting that readers tend to favor opinions of the first category. The official policy towards women was indirectly reflected in only two materials: Vseukrainskie Vedomosti (October 16, 1997) informed that Ukraine's first lady Ludmila Kuchma had been awarded a medal "For Devotion to Ballet" at the World Ballet Stars festival organized in Donetsk, and the Pravda Ukrainy (October 25, 1997, "Ukrainian Children Have Got a New "Mom") wrote about possible termination of the program "President's Wife to Children of Ukraine" and the appointment of Valentyna Shevchenko, former Chairwoman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, as head of the National Foundation for Mothers and Children. Official spokesmen continued to ignore women's issues.

Last updated:    November 1997

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