The year 2009 became a jubilee for the Kharkiv Women’s Organization KRONA. It has been ten years, since we started our active operation across the Ukrainian community area in women’s and gender projects, when implemented gender policy in Ukraine and cooperated with international organizations. Via its activity, our organization is eager to favour the Ukrainian society awareness of the issues on gender equality, overcoming the gender stereotypes and empowerment in the process of exercising women’s rights.

Since 2007, our activity passed beyond the frontiers of the educational women’s organization by natural changing to research, analytical field. The examples thereto are information and educational tours «Ukrainian way to gender equality» that we have carried on in eight towns in combination with analysis of the gender policy of Ukraine, as well as the International research-and-practice conference «Gender Theories, Gender Practices: Establishing Bridges», organized in Kharkiv in 2008.

Currently, the KRONA is in the period of transition and becoming an organization, which will be featuring an expert and analytical profile, not loosing thereby the competence to expand the knowledge on a range of gender problems, more specifically, the Gender Information and Analytical Center KRONA.
KRONA’s structure is undergoing changes, associated with taking the direction mostly on the expert, specialized activity that will assure an enhanced influence on shaping the policy of equality in Ukraine. These changes have been initiated since the conference mentioned above. This event resulted in proving that there is a necessity in Ukraine to unite endeavors of researchers of various scientific specialties, who are dealing with gender issues, and to create a more ordered, systematic gender research methodology. Ten experts, specialists on gender topics, engaged at different higher education institutions of Ukraine or linked with non-government organizations, replied on the corporation invitation, sent by the KRONA. We held the first meeting of experts in Kharkiv in August 2009. A need to create an expert platform by our center was confirmed by participants in the course of the meeting. One part of these people is in the first line interested in the research, analytical activity, whilst another one is desirous of realizing the research results as well.

Previously, there were some attempts in Ukraine to make closer the cooperation of specialists on gender issues, however, they in my judgment were not successful because of platform and coordination failed. The KRONA is recognized and trusted by non-government organizations and expert communities, facilitating therewith the likewise cooperation. In turn, the experts are considering the Gender expert platform generation to be a chance to strengthen their condition, expand the results of researches more effectively as well increase their influence on the policy of equality in Ukraine. As final result, participants of the Gender expert platform would have to carry on gender research, work out a joint methodology, analyze situation and lobby introducing recommendations that are shaped as a result of research and expert’s reports.

We think that only having our endeavours united, we will be able to accelerate the gender process in education, science, politics and other spheres, reach remarkable changes in solving gender problems in Ukraine.

The events of KRONA of not lower significance include a creation of media center and gender portal. Enhancing the gender sensibility of media specialists (journalists, editors, publishers) and their knowledge of equality policy in Ukraine and the European Union is extremely essential for influencing the public opinion formation.

The correctness of our way was approved by the school for practicing journalists «Gender View» that we conducted for the second time in September 2009. Professional men and women both from the gender and media fields, united as trainers staff, proved the efficiency of operation with mass media representatives. In such a way, we have overcome the failure of public organizations and representatives of the contemporary media area to understand one another.

Nowadays, the Gender Information and Analytical Center KRONA is making an efficient and successful activity on establishing contacts with the leading mass media and media institutions of Ukraine.

The first portal of public journalism HighWay, being the largest one within the Ukrainian segment of Internet-network as well (approximately 25 thousands of web-resource visitors per a day) has a new chapter for journalists , that is Gender, initiated due to our organization’s lobbying. At present, a special gender media platform is being improved on the basis of this Internet-project.

In addition to it, the first handbook for practicing journalists «Gender View» has been recently published. This publication is a good start of our series of professional media books for all participants of the Ukrainian mass media market.

In summary of outlined above, I can state for certain that Kharkiv has chances to become one of the most influential centers of gender research and women’s activism in Ukraine.