Aleksandra Ničić brought new perspective through her story on women’s health and won the first place in Hajde competition

 

For several years now, Hajde platform has been a meeting place for all young people interested in taking part in events, opportunities, and news within the Western Balkans. It serves as a long-term media tool dedicated for promotion of youth voices and topics, and embodies the aim towards youth from the region – to inspire young people to seize the opportunities and embrace the positive change in their communities.

 

In the 2023 cycle, more than 20 journalism students from all around Western Balkans region were engaged in content creation, and to add some spice, we organized a competition for the best story! And now, after careful review, we have a winner – it’s Aleksandra Ničić from the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade.

 

In a tough competition among 21 students’ stories, which were all unique in their approaches and topics, Aleksandra’s feature on the importance of understanding young women during their menstrual cycle was selected as the best. For winning the first place at the competition, Aleksandra has been rewarded with certificate and symbolic financial prize, as a motivation to continue pursuing her professional goals and contributing to regional cooperation, peace building and reconciliation. 

 

“I see the greatest value of RYCO's "Hajde" program in getting to know wonderful colleagues from the region, exchanging experiences and raising awareness of the importance of mutual cooperation. When I met colleagues from different parts of the region, I realized that, no matter where we come from in the Western Balkans, we all have similar interests, desires and a vision of how to make the region a better place for everyone,” shared Aleksandra during the presentation of certificate in RYCO’s Branch Office in Belgrade.

This is not the first time that Aleksandra participates in this program, she has been contributing to Hajde since 2021, when the platform was launched. 

 

“With the help of my mentor and professor Marko I created different stories for the Hajde platform. With my colleagues Nevena, Jovana and Maja from the Faculty of Political Sciences, I wrote a team story about young people in politics, and with my colleague Rogert a regional story about the psychological effect of social networks, as well as an individual one about adapting artistic content to the blind and visually impaired young people,” said Aleksandra. 

 

This year Aleksandra’s story brought to focus the importance of understanding young women during their menstrual cycle and breaking the silence when it comes to discussing menstrual health. Inspiration for this story, as Aleksandra says, came from conversation with other young girls who shared their experiences, which made her realize that menstrual health is still a taboo topic in the region. 

 

“While working on this story, I also learned a lot, because these girls with their honest and instructive stories have shown me why it is important to talk openly about menstrual problems, not to ignore them, and to fight for understanding and your rights in the field of work and education. Marija Radovanović, who spoke about anti-stigma campaigns and flexible working arrangements and their importance for menstrual health, and gynecologist Merima Atanasković, who pointed out the health consequences of neglecting menstrual complaints, also helped me to refer to the important aspects of this topic”, she highlighted. 

 

With a comprehensive approach and regional outlook on the topic, Aleksandra Ničić brought new perspectives through her story, at the same time respecting journalistic principles and professional rules. 

 

Congratulations to Aleksandra on her great story and winning the first place in the competition, and wishing her to continue to work hard and improve her skills and contribute to the values that promote cooperation in the region.