Von Anastasia Pukha
For some reason, it seems to everyone that gender equality is when women go out with posters and scream violently that they are strong and independent. It’s as if we just want to contradict the laws of society, poke all of my own “I can do everything by myself, without you, men” and show that we are no longer the weaker sex. Men are afraid that a crowd of avid feminists will attack them and change their minds. Perhaps that is why there are no guys in our course (but in vain!). But the minds we would really change.
Each time I’m thinking more and more that such courses as our are never held in Ukraine, except in sociology, where such classes are a must. Such topics are rarely raised during state assemblies, conferences or covered by media or advertising. But who needs gender equality here!
By spending the front pages or prime time on it when there are more serious topics – politics, economics, sports. And it is precisely in these areas where women are not considered as experts, they are not called to comment on the economic situation in Ukraine or to provide their leading opinion on Brexit. According to news monitoring results of 8 nationwide television channels, 10 nationwide online publications and 7 print media conducted by the Institute for Mass Media and Media Detector, 81% of experts on Ukrainian television are men, and only 19% remains for women who cover healthcare, education and cultural topics.
And if you ask Ukrainians and even Austrians about who appears in the media as heroes of materials more often, then they will probably answer 50% to 50%. Sadly the statistics give other answers – up to 15% of materials about women, which is not even 1/4. And I’m really glad that the number of women journalists in the Austrian media is increasing every year (can’t say same about Ukrainian), which means that they will touch on topics close to them in spirit. And I hope that the desire to listen equally to men and women, to take a fair point of view, regardless of gender, will reach its indicators.
As for me I am convinced that the possibility of freedom of speech and thought and their equal representation should be maximally cultivated in society. There is such a theory that you need to lay this from an early age and thanks to the one of our course group review, we learned that they do this in some Viennese kindergartens. Such indicators of consciousness of the City of Vienna and teachers cannot but rejoice.
Having media power, I would also try to bring the development of such topics to Ukrainian kindergartens and schools. Starting with the study, what parents knowledges in this area are and what children are taught before such a policy can be implemented at the state level. This will allow you to gain an understanding of the situation and change its vector to the correct ones even in the early stages of formation.
If you look at the situation more globally, then women are mothers. And despite the fact that it is motherhood that is considered the cause of the underrepresentation of women according to AGEMI, women devote a lot of time to children, household, shopping and other daily things. They constantly go on foot, walk with strollers, that is, the streets are their center of life. It is in this context that I am glad that the City of Vienna pays much attention to the issue of urban planning and we were able to explore this topic together with the group.
The City of Vienna explores and builds cities so that the sidewalks are wide enough to fit a stroller, or even several. So that the streets are non-barrier ones. And so that there are less basement / dark areas and more lighting to feel safe. This city does everything so that a woman walks at night and does not think that every minute she may become a victim of violence, while every 5th Ukrainian woman aged 15 to 49 is.
Ukraine definitely needs its own committee that deals with city planning. When today I walked 2 kilometers along the dark street of my area just with a flashlight in my hand, I caught myself thinking that I really needed it.
A real discovery in city planning for me was Seestadt-Aspern. Since three years in Vienna, I have never been there and have never heard of it, nor about the innovations of Neubau as part of the Smart City concept. This is one of the main reasons why all policies do not work as well as they should. It is necessary to raise awareness, tell every day how to use and what. And of course it takes time. From this point of view, media involvement in this issue is also mandatory. For their part, they will be able to discover the problems that are facing, receive feedback from the residents of the city and even accelerate the process of solving them. Women journalists will clearly be able to contribute to this issue by addressing topics that are relevant to them and relevant to other women. Along with this, they will help Vienna and by its example other cities to reach the level of gender equality even in urban planning. And then step by step to change the general situation on the world stage.
Much more important now is to understand that the future does not stand still. For even three years we did not know much about the equal rights of women and men and how much we know now. Moreover we imagine how much we have yet to study.
And media power is one of the most powerful mechanisms for changing the subconscious. And as a first step it is important for us to take measures to minimize inequality in journalism.
To show serious intention of women to break through that very unfinished glass ceiling and rise to the top. The intention to talk and discuss topics that are important for society. And the intention to save the freedom of speech. The intension to speak and be heard both for women and men.
LITERATURE SOURCES
Agemi: Gendered journalism cultures. URL: https://update.com.ua/istorii_tag924/zhenshchina-v-ukraine/
Gender in details. Comparative Statistics and Gender Equality Legislation. 5.11.2019. URL: https://genderindetail.org.ua/spetsialni-rubriki/english-literature-on-genden-in-ukraine/comparative-statistics-and-gender-equality-legislation-1341226.html
update.com.ua: Woman in Ukraine. Where the gender inequality comes from? URL: https://update.com.ua/istorii_tag924/zhenshchina-v-ukraine/
Womo: In the world of illusions: why gender equality in Ukraine is fiction. URL: https://womo.ua/v-mire-illyuziy-pochemu-gendernoe-ravenstvo-v-ukraine-eto-fantaziya/
let's talk equal 