Media literacy as a tool of protection and strength for vulnerable women

We receive dozens of messages, news and posts every day. Today, the ability to distinguish truth from manipulation is becoming not just a useful skill, but a vital necessity. It's about protecting mental health and navigating confidently in a world where fakes and disinformation can be too costly.

To this end, a media literacy training was held in Poltava for women in vulnerable categories. The participants included women with disabilities, mothers of children and adults with disabilities since childhood, and older women.

Together with the trainer, they talked about the difference between information and disinformation, discussed how manipulations work, why it is important to be able to check facts and protect yourself from information overload. They also discussed the impact of artificial intelligence and how to navigate the public space of politics and media.

«We all receive information from social media every day, but we don't always understand what's behind it and how to protect ourselves. The training was interesting and useful. I even skipped a training session to be here and I have no regrets,» says participant Alla Lisovenko. It was the day she celebrated her birthday. Alla uses a wheelchair, is actively involved in sports, is preparing for the Ukrainian Paralympic Boccia Cup, and is a representative of the regional and city councils for accessibility.

The accessibility aspect of the training was equally important to the participants. For Vita Makhno, a Deaflympic karate champion and mother of two, this training was the first where all the information was clear thanks to sign language interpretation.

«I and my whole family have hearing impairments. It was very important to me that there was sign language interpretation. For the first time we fully understood everything that was happening. It was a very useful training. I received the right information and will be able to pass it on to my children,» Vita said.

For vulnerable women, the opportunity to join such trainings is not only about knowledge, but also about independence. Access to quality information gives them a chance to make their own decisions, take an active stance, and be less stressed by information chaos. And media literacy becomes a real tool of strength and protection for them.

This training was created by the Poltava City Public Association of Persons with Disabilities «Vira« within the framework of the project »Humanitarian Response and Recovery: Strengthening the Leadership of Organizations of Women with Disabilities», which is being implemented by National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAIA) with the technical support of UN Women Ukraine and funded by the United Nations Women's Peace Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).

This does not, however, imply that the views and content expressed during the event are officially endorsed or recognized by the United Nations.

The United Nations Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a flexible and responsive funding instrument that supports quality interventions to increase the capacity of local women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.

Photo by Poltava City Public Association of Persons with Disabilities «VERA” / Svitlana Bondareva