8 Ukrainians among top 100 most influential women in 2022

The BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2022.

Among them are the following prominent Ukrainians:

Kristina Berdynskykh, a journalist known for her reports from regions that have been under Russian shelling.

Maryna Viazovska, a Ukrainian mathematician who earlier this year became the second woman in history to win the renowned Fields Medal, which is known as the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Maryna Viazovska received the prize for her work on a 400-year-old puzzle, which involved determining the most efficient method to pack spheres into an eight-dimensional space.

Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine who received her place in the top for her work supporting the mental health of children and families traumatized by the war. In addition, she became the first wife of a foreign president to address the US Congress.

Yana Zinkevych, politician and front-line medical volunteer, founder of the volunteer paramedic organization Hospitaliers, which saves lives on the front lines. BBC reports that Zinkevich personally carried 200 injured soldiers to safety. Her team continues to provide first aid to injured soldiers and civilians, conducts medical training, and has performed about 6,000 evacuations.

Iryna Kondratova, pediatrician, who, despite constant shelling, together with her team continued to care for pregnant women, newborns and mothers in the Kharkiv Regional Perinatal Center. They established a labor ward in the hospital's basement and risked their lives to stay with intensive care newborns who couldn't be moved, even while air raid sirens sounded.

Oleksandra Matviichuk, human rights lawyer who for 15 years has headed the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), which became one of the laureates of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for its work documenting Russia's war crimes after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The organization is currently demanding the creation of an international tribunal to investigate Russia's alleged violations of human rights in Chechnya, Moldova, Georgia, Syria, Mali and Ukraine.

Yuliia Paievska, also known as Taira, paramedic, the founder of the volunteer medical unit Taira’s Angels. She was captured by Russian troops in March when she was helping to evacuate civilians from Mariupol. She documented the work of her team in the besieged city with a body camera and later gave the footage to the media.

Yuliia Sachuk, human rights defender, head of Fight for Right, an organization led by women with disabilities.

The BBC's 100 Women team drew up a shortlist based on names they gathered and those suggested by the BBC's network of World Service Languages teams, as well as BBC Media Action. 

The team was looking for candidates who had made headlines or influenced important stories over the past 12 months, as well as those who have inspiring stories to tell, or have achieved something significant or influenced their societies.