Leading United Nations agencies: the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Women; OHCHR; UNODC; together with women's rights organizations and providers of services for survivors of sexual violence related to the war held a discussion in Lviv.
During the meeting, they discussed progress, challenges and prospects for overcoming the consequences of war-related sexual violence in Ukraine.
Participants emphasized that it is important for society to hear the voices of survivors of war-related sexual violence and that accessible, comprehensive assistance should be provided according to the needs of survivors.
Organizations that have been helping survivors of sexual violence for a long time, including UNFPA, have shared stories about the changes that occur in the lives of clients after they receive support.
Jaime Nadal, the representative of UNFPA in Ukraine, and experts from Survivors Relief Centres in Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Chernivtsi, representatives of public organizations: La Strada-Ukraine; the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association JurFem; the Ukrainian Network of Women Affected by Violence SEMA Ukraine; Nehemiah; Uspishna Zhinka; the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, NGO DOM, Centre Women’s Perspectives; Smile UA also took part in the discussion.
"It is important that all survivors of gender-based violence, including sexual violence in conflict, have ready, unimpeded access to quality services in a convenient format and location. The Survivor Relief Centers provide in person psychological, psychotherapeutic, legal, social and medical support, complementing the services provided through the Aurora platform to all Ukrainians, even those in occupied territories and abroad. Our goal is to ensure that survivors know where to turn for all the help they need to overcome the trauma", said Jaime Nadal, the Representative of UNFPA in Ukraine.
With the onset of full-scale war, to support survivors of war-related violence, on the initiative of the Office of the Vice-Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and with the support of UNFPA, five Survivors Relief Centres were opened in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Lviv and Chernivtsi. Since opening, the centres have provided services on almost eight and a half thousand occasions. In 93 per cent of cases, they supported internally displaced persons. Survivors who cannot physically come to Survivors Relief Centres can receive help online.
The online platform, Aurora, has been operating since May 2022 offering comprehensive psychotherapeutic support, medical and legal consultations. During this time, specialists have provided assistance to 147 clients.
There are also 37 points of access located in hospitals, where doctors can provide professional assistance to survivors of war-related gender-based and sexual violence. Also, with the support of UNFPA, a national free hotline for survivors of gender-based violence and a hotline providing psychological assistance for men are operating in Ukraine. An expanded network of 100 social and psychological assistance mobile teams, 19 mobile medical teams, Vilna spaces for women and girls, shelters, crisis rooms and day centres are also operating. Therefore, all survivors can access help.
