Quick facts: Starlight Media – Ukraine – Media Sector – 2,000+ Employees

Target: Advancing gender equality internally and externally aligned with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)

Date Set: 2019

Progress Made:

• According to the WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool: The Starlight Media gender equality rate increased from 11% in 2019 to 72% in 2021.
• Internally
• The overall gender balance of the organization - 53% women, 47% men
• At the top management level - 56% women, 44% men
• Internal promotions - 49% women
• No gender pay gap
• 15% of the company's female employees joined the first corporate conference supporting women's leadership. Fifty female employees are active participants in the first ERG company.
• The number of corporate parental program users has exceeded 100. Fifteen of them are men who took additional corporate leave for dads. The total percentage of men among the users of all program services is 32%. The first father-employee went on paternity leave.
• Externally
• In 2021, more than 130 tv-news on gender equality were created by Starlight Media news and more than 150 materials published by the group's digital resources.
• The STB TV channel's digital campaign against gender stereotypes involved 28 celebrities and collected more than 7.5 million video views and 420 media mentions of the campaign and the stories of its heroes.
• MediaForShe Congress brought together 15 Ukrainian media and content producers to discuss the role of the media in promoting gender equality. During the MediaForShe Congress, CEOs of 1+1 media, Hromadske, and the film production company FILM.UA announced the signing of Women's Empowerment Principles. Thus, as a result of the

MediaForShe Congress, 46% of the Ukrainian television market are companies that have signed WEPs.

• In partnership with the Institute of Cognitive Modeling and Red Cross Ukraine, Starlight Media launched the media campaign against domestic violence. It includes a series of 10 videos where hosts and celebrities used the power of their voices to promote hotlines for victims and urge them to talk about the violence.

What is driving your company’s ambition to advance gender equality?

We want to realize our full potential both as employer and as media.

We don't believe in the success of stories that tell only half of human history. We are sure that there is no place for full talent growth in corporate cultures that work only for part of the team.

What are concrete actions your company is taking to reach your target and help move the needle on women’s representation and leadership?

• In partnership with the UN Women, Starlight Media implemented the world's first MediaForShe Congress.
• The first in corporate program to combat domestic violence in Ukraine was created and launched. It includes assistance/support to victims in the following areas: psychological, legal, security, labor, financial, logistics.
• Gender equality advocates are identified in StarLightMedia News. Regular coverage of the topic is provided by journalists of Vikna-Novyny and Fakty website.
• The corporate parenting support program has been successfully implemented. This program provides employees with free parenting courses, benefits in medical laboratories, reimbursement of taxi costs, free delivery of documents, creation of conditions for remote work, flexible working hours, and additional days of paid paternity leave.
• Together with UNFPA Ukraine, a format of meetings of creators with experts on combating domestic violence was introduced. This format allowed to integrate hotlines and contacts of services that help victims into the group's content and promote new covering domestic violence editorial rules. Through partnerships with L’Oréal and UNFPA, the employees have joined the international Stand UP program to combat harassment in public places.

What is one lesson or pitfall to avoid that other companies could learn from?

We learned that predicting all challenges is an impossible task. All companies and managers who work on progress in gender equality need to be ready for continuous improvements in corporate programs and approaches. Even newly established initiatives may need changes during this pandemic time. One of the best investments in this process is creating a communicational and cultural base for regular and open dialogue with our employees. They are the best advisors and idea creators. If we want to meet the honest request - we need to hear it and be more flexible in change implementation.

For example, in 2021, we added new options and services to our corporate parenting support program though it was launched in 2020. Employees resource group recommendations were excellent support for our efforts.