Yana Spencer

Content is Queen Micro-Grant for Podcasters 2024 Award Winner

Mum's Life Stories Short Story Competition 2023 Prize Winner

Women's Peacepower International Woman of Peace 2017 Award Winner

Source FM Best Voice 2013 Award Winner

Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University Best Journalism Graduate 2005

Boris Derevanka Journalism Scholarship 2001 - 2004

Yana Spencer is a communications consultant, women's rights activist and the founder of Tamu - a non-profit empowering vulnerable and disadvantaged women worldwide. She has travelled and worked in over 50 countries across four continents, recording stories.

An experienced writer and broadcaster, Yana was a Boris Derevanka scholar at the faculty of Journalism, Advertising and Publishing at Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University and gained a distinction in her Masters. Her television career in Ukraine spanned work as a news reporter, presenter, editor, producer, and media director, with highlights including live political reportage of the 2004-2005 Orange Revolution and producing and presenting an investigative programme on education issues.

After moving to the UK, she worked for humanitarian NGOs, growing to specialise in communications, advocacy and behavioural change campaigns, whilst continuing work as an international freelance journalist.

Through Tamu, Yana has run workshops with hundreds of women in over 15 countries where it is dangerous to be female, providing a community-level response to gender-based violence through prevention programming focused on psychological and economic empowerment. This pioneering work has been recognised with a Women of Peace award and was featured in Cosmopolitan magazine. She charts her journey of discovery of women's lives through the Cake Hour blog and the Women Running with Wolves podcast (which was awarded a grant by Content is Queen).

Yana is a sought-after speaker and trainer on the issues of women's empowerment and gender-based violence, talking at universities and special events in many countries including Sri Lanka, Japan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. She delivers professional training on topics such as GBV awareness for multi-agency safeguarding board members (for SAFE Ltd.), and survivor-centred approaches in cases of conflict-related sexual violence to humanitarian organisations (for RedR). She is also a SheSource expert on GBV for the Women's Media Center, and a roster consultant for the Mukwege Foundation and the BBC Media Action Advisory Pool. Her writing on gender issues has been widely published on independent media platforms, such as Challenge to Change, Wempower, Girl Talk HQ, and the SIHA Women in Islam Journal.

Currently based in the Middle East, Yana divides her time between delivering training, campaigning and writing on the themes she is most passionate about - human rights and women's empowerment, and her communications consultancy work (with recent clients including the Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism and the Freedom Collaborative).

Testimonials

You did a phenomenal job with the podcast, and I want to thank you for your hard work, due diligence, and patience during this process. It really means a lot to us to have partnered with you for this project, and the quality of your work shows how dedicated you are to the feminist movement. You showed care for the activists you interviewed and thoughtfulness when sharing their stories.

Keishla Gonzalez-Quiles, Communications Officer - Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism

Yana contributed an outstanding piece to the Women in Islam Journal, offering a compelling and beautifully written glimpse into the lives of Saudi Arabian women. With sensitivity and depth, she uplifts their voices, weaving in subtle references that add rich nuance to the narrative. A powerful and insightful contribution.

Lien Santermans, Editorial Coordinator - Women in Islam

I had a dream to write my own culinary book and thanks to you my dream has come true. Currently our book is sold in Ukraine and around the world, in two languages, electronically and in hard copy. We created this book during the war and all the profits go to the charitable causes of the south of Ukraine. A huge thank you, your contribution is invaluable.

Mikhail Sosnovskikh, Ambassador of Ukrainian Cuisine with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Yana, thank you so much for high-quality, professional and quick work. This is not the first time we have worked together, but I am willing to use your services again and again because I can always be sure of the best possible result. I would recommend you to anyone who is looking for a reliable and responsible translator, and a person who is easy and comfortable to work with.

Liza Glinska, pastry chef, author, and Ukrainian MasterChef judge