By Jessica Poh-Janrell, Johanna Förberg and Petra Tötterman Andorff Est. 5min 19-06-2023 Content-Type: Opinion Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data. Women hold posters reading ’Support Ukraine’ and ‘Never Give Up Ukraine’ as people gather on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion for a demonstration in support of Ukraine, at Republic Square in Paris, France, 24 February 2023. [EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON] Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Print Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram The swift acknowledgement of the prevalence of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine and the firm commitment to hold perpetrators to account signals a historic shift, write Petra Tötterman Andorff, Jessica Poh-Janrell and Johanna Förberg. Petra Tötterman Andorff is Secretary-General of The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation. Jessica Poh-Janrell and Johanna Förberg are co-authors of the report “They came together not to be silenced – Gender-Based Violence in Conflict & the role of women’s rights organisations”. Right now, women and girls are subjected to conflict-related sexual violence in 18 conflict-affected countries around the world. Far too often lack of political will allows the violence to continue and perpetrators to act with impunity. However, for Ukraine to truly become the much-needed historic shift in the fight against sexual violence in conflicts, efforts need to be sustained. The EU and its member states must ensure that the investment in women’s rights in the aftermath of the war becomes a priority and a key outcome at the Ukraine Conference on Recovery Conference taking place in London next week (21-22 June). On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, ahead of the Ukraine Conference on Recovery, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation releases a new report examining the prevalence of, and the work against, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in four conflict-affected countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH); the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Iraq and Ukraine. The report shows a lot of commonalities both in the experiences of those subjected to CRSV and in the obstacles faced by those working to stop the violence and support survivors/victims in accessing services and justice. Noticeable is the difference in how Ukraine has responded to the violations in comparison to the other countries. Due to factors such as the existence of a strong women’s rights movement that has been able to secure improved legal frameworks around gender-based violence, the willingness of the government to work with international investigators to monitor and record CRSV, and the unwavering support from the international community, the example of Ukraine shows us that sexual violence can be addressed swiftly and firmly when there is the political will to do so. To witness how Ukraine, unlike most other conflict-affected countries, are making use of the international agreements and mechanisms that have been put into place to address these crimes over the last 30 years, brings much-needed hope to all of those who have dedicated their lives to improving the international legal framework and promoting justice for survivors/ victims. There is of course still scope for improvements in the Ukrainian government’s response. Some of the things that Ukrainian women’s rights organisations still raise as a concern is the fact that the war has led to an increase in other forms of gender-based violence (GBV), including domestic violence due to stress, alcohol abuse, mental health strains and post-traumatic stress disorder among the population and especially among soldiers returning from the front. With the big focus on investigating war crimes, this type of gender-based violence which also creates immense suffering and insecurity, for mainly women and girls in the country, is not sufficiently addressed and is sometimes trivialised or ignored by local law enforcement, especially if the perpetrators are returning soldiers or so-called “war-heroes”. Women’s rights organisations are also noticing that the increased pressure on doctors and medical centres – including those who carry out abortions – to monitor and report war-related violence, is keeping some women and girls from seeking help, as they are not ready or willing to be part of criminal proceedings. Documentation and reporting of these crimes must never be made at the expense of the emotional and physical security and safety of the victim/survivor. It is of utmost importance that the Ukrainian government takes these concerns seriously to ensure that a survivor-centred approach is applied at all times and that survivors/victims of all types of GBV receive appropriate services, regardless of who the perpetrator is. As a foundation that has been working with sexual violence in conflict for the last 30 years, we see the swift acknowledgement of the prevalence of CRSV in Ukraine and the seemingly firm commitment to hold perpetrators to account as a major progress and potentially a historic shift. We hope that the international community can learn from the experience of Ukraine and bring lessons learnt into both new and existing conflicts around the world. Some things can and must be done immediately. The EU must ensure support to local women’s organisations working on the ground holding the line and taking care of survivors. They must also ensure that investments in women’s rights are at the centre of the reconstruction of Ukraine. At the same time, it is important that the EU and the international community don’t forget that women and girls are being exposed to conflict-related violence in other contexts. They must give the same attention and support and be equally persistent in finding ways to monitor and investigate war crimes in other conflict-affected countries outside of Europe, such as Ukraine.
