November 25, 2022 – The 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence is an annual international campaign that starts on November 25 and lasts to December 10 to call for preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls. 

Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych, UNFPA Deputy Representative in Ukraine and Senior Emergency Coordinator Mustafa Elkanzi, as well as international partners from the diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, attended the official opening of the campaign in Kyiv. Honorary Ambassador of UNFPA in Ukraine Maria Yefrosinina moderated the event.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war Russian invasion, Ukraine has faced an unprecedented level of pain and trauma. Ukrainians suffer from the crimes of the Russian military, in particular, from gender-based and sexual violence related to the war.

But along with the war crimes of the aggressor country's troops, unfortunately, gender-based violence continues to exist within Ukrainian society, continuingly harming the survivors.

“Unfortunately, there has been a lot of violence in our lives lately. And we all feel it in our own way. We also have different reactions to those circumstances that take us out of our usual comfort zone. Despite all these challenges, we show our other crisis quality – sensitivity. We see how we gather together and how we support each other, each in our own way. Today, I especially urge everyone who is nearby, who sees violence, not to pass by, but to show some empathy, and lend a hand. And take a step towards. This is what distinguishes us as a nation,” said Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovich.

Since the beginning of 2022, the National Police has received 120,000 reports of domestic violence. 98% of calls to the hotline 1547 were related to this type of violence. That is why it is important to raise the topic of gender-based violence and call to counteract it, to be sensitive to other people's stories and emotions, and not to be indifferent when we witness violence: intervene, help, and do not remain silent.

"We have a problem when, in the background of all the daily troubles, the voice of those who may be subjected to domestic violence is getting quieter. This is a big challenge for us, for our nation. Because the way we treat each other, the relationship at the level of man and woman, parents and children – this is what constitutes the culture of the Ukrainian nation. The culture that we defend on the battlefield, that we defend in all the cities of our state, that everyone defends at home. These are exactly the values ​​for which we are fighting today and for which we will win," said Denys Monastyrskyi during the opening ceremony.

This year, UNFPA in cooperation with partners has organized the "Sensitivity Overcomes Violence" campaign. Mosaic installations, showing various forms of violence, have been installed in 60 cities and communities throughout Ukraine. The mosaics are made of magnets that visitors can take away to "deconstruct" the negative image - symbolically deconstructing gender-based violence itself. 

“Building a life free from violence amidst the war may seem like an impossible challenge for many. Yet the bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity it brings for change and growth. By renouncing old beliefs, stereotypes and assumptions that no longer serve Ukraine, Ukrainians have a unique opportunity to lead a transformational change and create a society that has no place for violence”, said Mustafa Elkanzi, UNFPA Senior Emergency Coordinator/Deputy Representative in Ukraine.

In addition to the mosaic, UNFPA presented an interactive online game. The game educates players by presenting the attitudes of people towards gender-based violence in the 30 cities and communities that participate in UNFPA's "Cities and Communities Free from Domestic Violence" project. Game winners will receive campaign-branded gifts.

The Mosaic event was organized by UNFPA with the support of the Governments of the UK, Canada and the USA as part of the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence" campaign in Ukraine. 

The "Cities and Communities Free from Domestic Violence" attitude study was conducted by UNFPA between December 2021 and February 2022.