Journalist Iva Paradjanin Lilic created a feminist platform where empathy, honesty, and even anger become tools for resistance, representation, and change
Tampon zona is not just a podcast. It’s a place for empathy, information, solidarity, and sometimes even rage.
“Women’s experiences are political, personal, and powerful — and they must be heard,” says Iva Paradjanin Lilic, a journalist who has turned these words into action.
Born from the awareness that something essential was missing in public conversations, Tampon zona began as a feminist podcast and quickly evolved into a multimedia platform and community. It offers women in Serbia a space to speak openly and without shame about issues often dismissed as private or uncomfortable — from menstruation and sexual violence to mental health and body image.
“I was surrounded by women experiencing pain, shame, or injustice, and yet no one was really talking about it. If these things affect so many of us every day, how can we be expected to carry them alone? Why aren’t we hearing more of these stories — in the media, in politics, in everyday life?” – says Paradjanin.
Confronted with the stark fact that women make up only around one-fifth of all media content in Serbia, she saw an urgent need to push back against a landscape dominated by men’s stories, perspectives and priorities.
“That imbalance shapes how we see the world. It tells young girls what’s “important” and what isn’t. And it reinforces the idea that women’s voices are secondary. I started Tampon zona to push back against that — to create content that reflects real lives, real struggles, and women’s real power. Because if we want a more equal society, we can’t just wait for it to happen. ” she notes.
From art history through sports journalism to feminism
Fresh out of university with a degree in art history, Iva Paradjanin began her journalism career in an unexpected field: sports reporting at B92. “It felt strange at first, especially since I didn’t know much about sports,” she recalls. Yet the experience proved formative. Her grandfather, a sports journalist, had instilled in her a love of reading, writing, and a commitment to truth — values that guided her first steps in the newsroom.
“It was the first time I encountered workplace discrimination, but I also had an incredible mentor, one of Serbia’s leading sports journalists and a strong advocate for women’s visibility in sports media, who taught me that expertise and dedication are powerful foundations,” — Paradjanin says. This guidance shaped her approach to leadership, solidarity among women, and the importance of mentorship early in one’s career.
After B92, Paradjanin worked at VICE, ELLE, and Buro 24/7, exploring topics that would define her career: women’s rights, representation, and youth issues. “At the time, VICE was an incredible platform — young people creating content for young people, with a remarkable level of freedom in choosing topics. For this region, that kind of editorial freedom felt revolutionary.” – she says. They were among the first to address women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the challenges young people face in the country.
As the platform began to decline, she realised her mission was shifting: to use traditionally “women’s” media to empower women with stories that genuinely reflected their lived realities. However, she also encountered censorship and a lack of understanding from editorial leadership, who often treated feminism as a passing media trend rather than acknowledging women’s experiences as inherently political. This environment limited the reach and impact of her work.
“I also came to a difficult realisation: people — rightfully — had lost trust in many traditional media outlets. It became clear to me that it was time to build something different. A new kind of space, rooted in trust, honesty, and real connection with the audience.” – she says.
A platform for representation, resistance, and connection
The rapid rise in the number of women listening to podcasts convinced Paradjanin that this format was a new opportunity to reach audiences meaningfully. Podcasts, she argues, bypass traditional media gatekeeping and censorship, allowing marginalised voices to be heard without distortion. The format encourages authenticity and vulnerability, which are essential to meaningfully discuss gender, rights, and identity.
They also foster a sense of community, where audiences are not passive consumers but active participants. For her, one of the core missions of Tampon zona is to create networks of support and amplify a collective feminist voice.
“Women’s experiences have been shortened, misunderstood, or pushed into the wrong narratives for far too long. Podcasts give us the chance to tell these stories fully—from beginning to end—without the pressure to sensationalise or simplify them. They offer a safe, intimate space where complex, nuanced conversations can happen, which is exactly what feminist topics need.” – she says. What she loves most about the format is its personal and accessible nature.
For Paradjanin, podcasting is not only about speaking but also about listening. “It’s not just about telling stories; it’s about creating a community where women feel seen, heard, and empowered, where women can listen, learn, and support each other—turning individual stories into a collective movement.”
Beyond urban feminism: reaching the margins
Paradjanin acknowledges the limitations of feminist media that mostly reach urban, educated audiences. That’s why they launched Tampon zona Lokal, a platform to decentralise media and amplify the voice of women from all across Serbia. Correspondents and journalists come from different parts of the country and share stories that matter locally as well as nationally.
“We believe that all experiences are valuable and deserve to be told. This way, we highlight the issues faced by women in rural areas, poor women, and elderly women — those who are often invisible in mainstream media.” – she adds.
Within this project, they raised issues later picked up by larger outlets: the shortage of gynecologists in small towns, elderly women struggles in rural areas, Roma women’s conditions during childbirth and young women’s lives in villages.
Rights once won are not won forever
The online sphere, once a place for connection, has increasingly become a battleground for misogyny and hate. Paradjanin reflects, “Not long after launching Tampon zona, I realised that a truly safe space — especially for women — doesn’t really exist.” Alongside growing women’s movements online, figures like Andrew Tate attract massive followings, spreading far-right and anti-women ideologies.
Rather than deterring her, this only reinforced Paradjanin’s conviction that visibility and presence are essential. “The rise of anti-gender movements is strong and widespread, both globally and locally,” she observes. She emphasises that media literacy must include gender perspectives, so audiences can recognise and challenge harmful narratives.
“All I know is that we must be louder, more numerous, and more radical in demanding our rights, because it turns out that rights once won are not won forever.” – she notes.
Women remain resilient and increasingly vocal, at the forefront of social resistance
The online climate of misogyny is mirrored in the physical and institutional realities women face in Serbia. Paradjanin describes the risks women encounter in protests or activism: “Women are disproportionately targeted during street protests with excessive police violence, including tear gas, physical assaults, arrests, and intimidation — not by accident, but precisely because they represent defiance.”
She emphasises that systemic repression is part of a broader national strategy to silence dissent. Protesters, activists, and journalists face harassment, physical violence, censorship, and coordinated smear campaigns. Economic pressures exacerbate the risks: women in feminised professions, such as education, may lose their jobs if they support dissenting movements. Paradjanin observes, “The state’s use of violence, media manipulation, and economic control creates a climate of fear to discipline not just individual women but the entire society.” – she observes.
The struggle for gender justice is deeply interconnected with broader fights for democracy, freedom of expression, and human rights. Paradjanin notes, “Whether it’s students protesting, women fighting for their rights, independent journalists exposing injustices, or workers demanding fair conditions, they all face repression, intimidation, and attempts to silence their voices.” Recognising this common struggle against authoritarian control, civil actors can build solidarity and pursue collective social change.
Responsible journalism against violence
As a member of Journalists Against Violence, a Serbian workgroup advocating for ethical reporting on gender-based violence, she sees slow but meaningful progress in the Western Balkans. More journalists and media outlets recognise the need for sensitive, accurate coverage that respects survivors and avoids sensationalism. “There is a growing recognition that responsible journalism can play a key role in raising awareness, challenging harmful stereotypes, and pushing for better policies.” – she notes.
However, challenges persist. Political pressures, limited training, and sensationalist tendencies still cause poor reporting. “In the past few months, we have witnessed the spreading of intimate images of female students across national TV and media without any consequences. Situations like these set us back and reveal the power of those in control.”
Turning anger into action
Although women’s anger is often dismissed or deemed illegitimate, Paradjanin argues it is essential in the fight against social injustice. To be effective, this anger must be channelled constructively with strategic thinking, empathy and persistence and channelled into activism, education, storytelling, and advocacy.
“For me, anger has always been a catalyst — it fuels the energy and determination to speak out, to challenge the status quo, and to demand change,” she explains. By creating spaces where women can express frustration safely and collectively, anger can be transformed into meaningful action that drives social and political change.
“Women’s anger is valid, necessary, and a crucial part of justice movements,” she says. “It is deeply rooted in the struggle against oppression and will remain vital as long as inequality persists.”
Author: Henrietta Bocz
This article was produced as part of the Thomson Foundation’s Internship programme for young female journalists implemented under the Deepening Digital: Reinforcing Resilience project.
