GRANTEE
Захисниця. Imayeci is a narrative podcast on women in Crimea that collects oral testimony as well as reports on repression and political imprisonment on the peninsula.
Since 2014, people and communities engaged in the defense of human rights and activism in Crimea have become vulnerable to repression. Since 2022, the situation has only exacerbated, with many people being forced to leave the peninsula to avoid pressure. Those determined to stay often end up behind bars, and so do those abducted and brought to Crimea by force from the newly occupied Ukrainian territories. The podcast showcases the confrontation between women and the authoritarian regime which changes their lives irreversibly. Violent searches, detentions, lengthy trips to distant prisons become the new normal. Opening their own businesses to sustain a family, learning to communicate with the media and civic assistance in court are among the activities that reshape the heroines’ previous lives into lives of struggle. Creating a record on political imprisonment by the Russian regime and its societal implications, Захисниця. Imayeci explores how women in Crimea lose and regain hope while remaining steadfast in their demand for justice.