Gender-based violence in Ukraine

There is an urgent need to enhance the capacities of Ukraine to address the issue of gender-based violence adequately. A three-day assessment mission to the country evidences it.

Accompanied by international experts, many NGO, like WAVE (Women Against Violence Europe), met with government stakeholders and representatives of civil society and the international community in Kyiv.

Experts saw that preventing and combating gender-based violence and violence against women is an indispensable prerequisite for personal safety and security and thus a major contribution to the stability of a country. Ukraine must undertake efforts to tackle this issue in a comprehensive and inclusive way. Europe’s NGO stand ready to assist the country in these endeavours."

The tensions and hostilities have had negative consequences on the prevalence of domestic violence. Internally displaced women in particular have been experiencing increased incidences of violence with reported cases to NGOs such as La Strada tripling in recent months. Increased domestic violence in families of demobilized soldiers struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the lack of support services for these families is increasingly becoming an issue.

Allegations of conflict-related sexual violence were also discussed and the need was highlighted for more research in order to fully understand the scope of this issue in Ukraine.

Violence against women is still a big problem in many countries - in peacetime and in armed conflict. Strengthening women's organizations as part of civil society is crucial to eliminate gender-based violence against women and girls in the region.

It’s urgent to feed into renewed efforts to promote the ratification of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) in Ukraine.