Service Barriers Faced by Male Survivors of Sexual Violence in Ukraine [EN/UK]

INTRODUCTION

Globally, women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence (SV), due to gender inequality and discrimination.(1) In humanitarian emergencies, the risk of GBV, including SV, increases. Men, boys,(2) and/including people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC)(3) and people with disabilities also experience SV during emergencies.(4) Humanitarian GBV programming primarily focuses on women and girls; however, the Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for Gender-based Violence in Emergencies notes that GBV actors should coordinate across sectors (e.g., health, child protection, protection) to ensure access to lifesaving support for male survivors of SV, including sexual abuse and conflict-related SV. The humanitarian principle of impartiality means that humanitarians do not discriminate against any person, regardless of their sex, gender, age, sex characteristics, disability status, refugee status, or other identities. All survivors of sexual violence have a right to receive quality, appropriate, and timely care.

In February 2022, the conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation that began in 2014 with the Russian annexation of Crimea escalated to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As a result, nearly 4 million people are internally displaced, with over 110,000 people living in collective centers. As early as March 2022, Ukrainian civilians reported verified incidents of SV among women and men by Russian soldiers.(5) However, limited evidence exists to understand the barriers that male survivors of SV face in accessing services and support. To help fill this evidence gap, the Ukraine GBV Area of Responsibility (AoR) Working Group (WG) on Needs of Male Survivors collaborated with the global Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crises (IAWG) task team on male survivors, chaired by the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), to conduct a rapid assessment of the barriers that male survivors in Ukraine face in accessing GBV services. The goal of the assessment was to identify potential entry points for services that facilitate safe and confidential disclosure—including outside of GBV services—to understand training and resources needed to better equip GBV and non-GBV practitioners to better support men and boys in all their diversity who experience SV in war-affected Ukraine.

ENDNOTES

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