Three Ukrainians make it to BBC’s TOP100 Women

The BBC has released its annual "TOP100 Women" list, acknowledging women from various countries who inspire and impact the world. 

This year, three Ukrainian women made it to the list, Rubryka reports.

The Ukrainian women featured in the list are:

• Oksana Zabuzhko, writer, literary scholar, and essayist.
• Iryna Stavchuk, climate policy advisor.
• Olena Rozvadovska, founder of the "Voices of Children" charitable foundation. 

The list compilers noted that Zabuzhko, with over 20 literary works in fiction, poetry, and essays, is considered one of Ukraine's outstanding writers and intellectuals. Her books have been translated into 20 languages and received numerous national and international awards, including the Central European Literary Award "Angelus," the National Taras Shevchenko Award for contributions to the humanities, and the Legion of Honour from France.

Stavchuk recently began collaborating with the "European Climate Foundation," overseeing Ukrainian programs focused on developing environmentally friendly and climate-resilient solutions for post-war recovery. She is also a co-founder of two well-known environmental NGOs: the "Ecodia Environmental Initiatives Center" and the "Kyiv Cyclists' Association" (U-Cycle).

Rozvadovska started volunteering in the front-line areas of Donbas in 2015. She was part of the filming team for the documentary "House of Rocks," which depicts a children's shelter in Lysychansk and was nominated for the 2023 Oscars. She and her team also released the book "War in the Voices of Children."

Unlike the previous year, this year's list did not include any representatives of Ukrainian military women. However, two Russian women are on the list: firefighter Sofia Kosachova and poet Daria Serenko.

Other notable names in this year's list include feminist icon Gloria Steinem, human rights advocate Amal Clooney, former US First Lady Michelle Obama, Hollywood actress America Ferrera, and Olympic athlete Camilla Pirelli. The list also features unique individuals such as Afroz-Numa, one of the last women shepherds of the Wakhis tribe in Pakistan, and Kanan Dagdeviren, the inventor of a portable ultrasound patch for early breast cancer detection.

About the "TOP100 Women" Project

The BBC established the annual "TOP100 Women" project in 2013, dedicated to highlighting a hundred inspiring and influential women. Alongside the list, the BBC publishes interviews, reports, and documentaries covering the work of the women featured.

In previous years, the list included well-known women such as Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, education activist Malala Yousafzai, actress and activist Jane Fonda, and climate activist Greta Thunberg, among others. Last year's "TOP100 Women of 2022" list included eight Ukrainian women.

Rubryka reported that three Ukrainian girls received the Children's Peace Prize for their app for young refugees.