UN Women Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute announced the winners of the Women in Arts. The Resistance Award 2024
On March 6, the fifth anniversary awarding ceremony of the annual Women in Arts. The Resistance Award was held in Kyiv. With this award, UN Women Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute praise the achievements of women in the field of culture and art, and from 2023, also their contribution to the approach of victory. The governments of Sweden and Japan, as well as the Women’s Fund for Peace and Humanitarian Aid of the United Nations, supported the event.
The Women in Arts. The Resistance 2024 Award laureates:
- Women in Visual Arts — Kateryna Buchatska
- Women in Music — Jamala
- Women in the Performing Arts — Oksana Dmitriieva
- Women in Film — Alisa Kovalenko
- Women in Literature — Yaryna Chornohuz
- Women in Cultural Management — Olha Honchar
- Women in Cultural Journalism, Criticism, and Research — Kateryna Yakovlenko
- Special Mention — Kateryna Pryimak
“The theme of this year’s award is the resistance of Ukrainian women to Russian aggression, strengthening women’s voices, and calling for a change in the perception of Ukraine in the world. I am grateful to each of them, whose tireless work motivates the world community to action. Ukrainian female artists use all their talent and all available art tools to call the world to action and support Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression,” commented Dmytro Kuleba, minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Award.
An Expert Council and a Jury comprising specialists in the field of culture and art, representatives from the public sector, and independent institutions, determine the award winners. The Council and Jury include 42 people. You can find out more about the experts who determined the winners this year on the Award’s official website.
“Amidst the turmoil of war, Ukrainian women stand tall in all spheres of life, demonstrating remarkable resilience, dignity, and determination. Through their leadership, creativity, and unwavering spirit, they navigate the hardships of war, embodying the true essence of resilience in the most challenging of times and bringing hope for recovery and renewal. Today, we not only celebrate the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainian women in arts but also pay tribute to those bright women who fell victim to Russian aggression. It’s a moment of great pride, deep grief, and solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” said Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women representative in Ukraine.
The multimedia performative project Liniyї by Khrystyna Kirik, which seamlessly merged the realms of music and theatre, immersing audiences is a unique and captivating experience, was a special guest at the ceremony.
The ceremony was hosted by journalist, presenter, poet and screenwriter Oleksandra Hontar and stand-up comedian and volunteer Vasyl Baidak.
Media partners of the fifth Women in Arts Award ceremony are Starlight Media, Suspilne Kultura, and Harper’s BAZAAR.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Award has acquired a new meaning of recognition and honouring the resistance and resilience of Ukrainian women artists and the entire Ukrainian people. This idea is reflected both in the name added with ‘The Resistance’ part and in the symbolic slogan ‘Till The Storm Ends’ chosen for this year’s ceremony.
At the event, a minute’s silence was held in memory of female artists who had lost their lives due to Russian aggression.
The Award laureates were presented with prizes, already traditional figurines in the shape of intertwined women’s hands by artist Maria Kulikovska. According to the artist, women’s hands symbolise support and protection, as well as women’s work. This year, the colour of the statuettes was chosen to be a gentle sky blue colour, symbolising the light that remains with us in these stormy times, and the hope for a clean and peaceful sky after the end of the war.
Women in Arts is an independent award founded in 2019 by the Ukrainian Institute and UN Women Ukraine as part of the HeForShe solidarity movement for gender equality. The Award aims to spotlight the accomplishments of women artists and promote Ukrainian culture both in Ukraine and internationally. Among the laureates of past years are Oksana Zabuzhko, Sofia Andrukhovych, Irma Vitovska-Vantsa, Alevtina Kahidze, Iryna Tsilyk, and others.