Attachments
Introduction
On February 24, 2022, the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2014, escalated.
In the summer of 2022, the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on combating sexual violence related to armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine and on provision of support to survivors was established to implement the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the UN on Combating and Preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). The IAWG is headed by the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy and has 5 areas of work, including combating trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation, supporting survivors, access to justice and bringing to accountability, security and defense cooperation, and access to reparations and compensation for CRSV survivors. The results of the IAWG’s work for 2024 are set out in the annual report.
In addition, response to CRSV is underway by UN agencies, civil society organizations, and government authorities.
State work
In the conditions of a full-scale war in Ukraine, crimes of sexual violence have become a conscious strategy and tool of Russian terror aimed at humiliation, intimidation and destruction of social ties. In this regard, the task of the state bodies of Ukraine is to build a system that prevents and responds to CRSV, supports survivors, and also guarantees the inevitability of punishment to perpetrators. According to Liliia Zolkina, chief of the Division of family, youth and mass events of national and patriotic education Donetsk OMA, since 2024, social services in the Donetsk region have received only 7 CRSV statements; the figure does not reflect the real situation due to the sensitivity of the topic, hostilities, temporary occupation of certain territories, lack of safe access to support, shame, and other reasons. After the disappearance of these reasons, a potential sharp increase of statements is expected, and therefore, an extensive network of specialized support services for survivors of domestic violence and/or GBV is already being developed and operating in the affected Donetsk region (services are also provided to CRSV survivors): there are day centers for psychosocial assistance, specialized primary psychological counseling services, and mobile teams that provide crisis support, psychological assistance, primary counseling, legal support, and referrals to medical institutions or law enforcement agencies.