In Ukraine, survivors speak out about conflict-related sexual violence

The campaign draws people together to speak out against gender-based violence, a topic cloaked in deep silence for too long.

In Ukraine, many survivors have been willing to come forward and speak out about conflict-related sexual violence. They make the truth known about sexual violence being inflicted upon them. This is a critical step in bringing the perpetrators to justice and preventing the spread of this scourge.  

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine works closely with survivors to document cases of conflict-related sexual violence and publicly report this violation. In the period 24 February 2022 to 31 August 2024, the Mission has documented 376 cases of CRSV against 262 men, 104 women, 10 girls, and 2 boys. This grave form of GBV affects individuals across genders, with over half of documented cases involving men, mainly men who were subjected to torture in places of detention in occupied territory or the Russian Federation.  

Conflict-related sexual violence violates international human rights, humanitarian, and criminal law. Preventing such violence and prosecuting perpetrators is a shared responsibility, grounded in States' human rights obligations.

Survivors of conflict-related sexual violence need support to help them recover, including support from the community at large. The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is a time to deepen our solidarity with survivors of CRSV.