Project is focused on strengthening national and community-based conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) prevention and response mechanisms in Ukraine through a survivor-centred multi-sectoral approach / UNited Action to Empower Survivors of CRSV.
This UN Interagency Project was launched in 2023 for a period of two years and is co-implemented by UNFPA, UN Women, UNODC, WHO, UNDP, and IOM in cooperation with the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine (project’s beneficiary) and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine to address the gaps, challenges and needs pertinent to CRSV identified jointly with the Government of Ukraine and civil society.
Project’s participants – 2,150 persons:
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CRSV survivors – women and girls, men and boys;
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first-line responders and service providers, incl. healthcare practitioners from different types of healthcare facilities, staff of the specialized gender- based violence (GBV) response services, psychotherapists working with survivors of CRSV, incl. those working with male survivors of CRSV;
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criminal justice practitioners, incl. prosecution office, judiciary, free legal aid system, law enforcement and security institution officials, private lawyers and advocates;
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other governmental representatives, media outlets, CSOs, incl. women- led and survivors’ networks – in particular, SEMA Ukraine.
The project is aimed at translating into action the Implementation Plan for the Framework of Cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the United Nations on the Prevention and Response to CRSV (May 2022), which is aligned with the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace and Security” for the period until 2025 and other Ukraine’s international commitments.
The project's Сommunication campaign, implemented by the UN agencies in cooperation with the Government of Ukraine and Survivor networks, aims to support survivors of the CRSV by informing them about available support services, encouraging them to seek assistance and to report war crimes committed against them to facilitate their capacity building and re- covery, as well as to bring perpetrators to justice.
Expected outcomes
Outcome 1
Coordination, cooperation and coherence for impactful, survivor-cen- tred solutions [UNFPA-led, involves all the partners] with the Office of DMP on Euro- and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy.
Outcome 2 & 3
Ensured rights-based effective investigation and prosecution of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) for sexual exploitation by criminal justice practitioners, and Improved quality of legal and healthcare services available to survivors of TIP for purpose of sexual exploitation [UNODC-led] with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, its Coordination Center for the Support of Victims and Witnesses of War, Training Center of Prosecutors of Ukraine; Ministry of Health, State Financial Monitoring Service, National Police of Ukraine, Department of Migration in National Police of Ukraine.
Outcome 4
Vulnerabilities of women and girls that increase the risk of trafficking for the sexual purposes are mitigated [UN Women-led] with the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Police of Ukraine and Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy.
Outcome 5
Survivors of CRSV and at-risk groups are better protected, supported and benefitting from the improved contextualised comprehensive and multi-sectoral assistance [WHO and UNFPA-led] with Office of DMP on Euro- and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Policy, National Social Service of Ukraine, Coordination Center for the Support of Victims and Witnesses of War of the Office of the Prosecutor General, High School of Public Governance/National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service.
Outcome 6
Increased capacity of community-based groups and women’s CSOs for raising awareness on CRSV, providing basic legal information and do referrals to qualified legal aid services available [UN Women-led] with the Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, Ministry of Social Policy, Office of the Prosecutor General, National Police of Ukraine, Free Legal Aid System/Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision.
Outcome 7
Strengthened capacity of the national authorities for victim-centred and gender-sensitive response to CRSV and support to victims and survivors [UNDP-led] with the Office of the Prosecutor General and its Coordination Center for the Support of Victims and Witnesses of War, Free Legal Aid Coordination Center.
Outcome 8
Enhanced capacity of local government authorities, police and State Emergency Service on prevention and response to GBV/CRSV at community level in accessible conflict-affected areas [UN Women-led] with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Police of Ukraine, Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and its regional representatives, State Emergency Service, Regional and Local Government authorities, Gender Focal Points in Security and Defence Sector.
Outcome 9
Survivors of CRSV have increased access to interim and long-term reparative measures [IOM-led] with the Office of DMP on Euro- and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Apparatus of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Coordination Center for the Support of Victims and Witnesses of War of the Office of the Prosecutor General and Ministry of Social Policy.
For additional information or concerning potential cooperation please reach out to Olga Chuyeva, Programme Analyst, CRSV Prevention and Response via chuyeva@unfpa.org.
The project is supported by UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, which has the goal of ending sexual violence during and in the wake of armed conflicts.
