The Daring: a special project from FUIB and "Live towards" about women who chose a profession contrary to stereotypes

Within the framework of the “Live towards” platform, FUIB, together with photographers Vlada and Konstantin Liberov and Forbes Ukraine, launched a special project “The Daring.” It is dedicated to women who dared to choose their path despite outdated ideas about “unfeminine professions.” 

The heroines were five Ukrainian women: the commander of the first female UAV crew, the only female combat pilot of the Mi-8 helicopter in Ukraine, the head of the unmanned systems department of the State Emergency Service, the head of the women veterans movement, and a police lieutenant colonel.

The project is based on the heroines' candid stories about what courage means to them and what gives them the strength to remain true to their choice.

Famous Ukrainian photographers and volunteers Vlada and Kostyantyn Liberov worked on the photos for the project. In a series of portraits, they sought to show the heroines' inner strength — their confidence, calmness, and the support that helps them do their job every day, despite fear, tension, or other people's doubts.

"The idea of ​​showing women in such professions struck me immediately. During the filming, I paid attention to their absolute calm despite the enormous psychological load. I was literally photographing pure willpower. What struck me most was their attitude towards their own courage. All the heroines perceive their activities exclusively as a conscious choice and ordinary daily work. With the help of light, I sought to convey the strong inner support that I saw in their eyes. This project allowed me to look at human endurance in a completely different way. Women are incredible,” says photographer Konstantin Liberov.

The special project was implemented within the framework of the “Live towards” platform, which is being developed by FUIB. Its goal is to support the integration of veterans into labor relations, entrepreneurship, financial processes, and public life.

In “The Daring”, this idea takes on a broader dimension. After all, integration and return to civilian life is not only about the opportunity to find a job or start your own business. It is also about the right of a person to independently determine their place, profession and further path.

That is why women's stories have become a separate area of ​​the project. In Ukraine, a significant part of everyday life is supported by women: families, businesses, volunteer initiatives, state and social institutions. During a full-scale war, women also master professions that were previously considered predominantly male, take on responsibility and work where the lives of others depend on their decisions.

“For us, this project is an opportunity to talk about important changes through personal stories. We wanted to show not abstract female strength, but specific people who made a choice and continue to confirm it with their actions every day. In "The Daring", we are not talking about the fact that a woman “can also” work in a certain profession. We boldly declare that professional abilities, character and responsibility are not determined by gender,” says Ksenia Sikorska, Marketing Director of FUIB Bank.

The special project was published in the print and online versions of Forbes Ukraine. The full stories of the heroines and a series of photos of Vlada and Konstantin Liberov can be read and viewed on the publication’s website.