On July 2 our team members visited the international forum "Post-traumatic growth of women affected by the sexual violence during the long-lasting war
— My Sisters!" organized by SEMA Ukraine with the support of UN Women and other partners.
The event brought together representatives of state institutions, international organizations, and Ukrainian public associations engaged in advocacy for the rights of people who survived sexual violence in wartime. The purpose of the event was to highlight the needs of Ukrainian women who went through torture and sexual violence during the long-lasting Russian-Ukrainian war and to plan further work in the direction of helping these women.
"Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) is a crime. Those who survived this terrible experience, except to punishing the guilty, should also count on acceptance and support from society, as well as have the right to psychological help, personal development, and receiving of reparations," said Alisa Kovalenko, a member of SEMA Ukraine and a well-known documentary filmmaker.
In the format of a discussion panel and working groups, the forum participants talked on the following topics:
- Provision of urgent interim reparations to victims of sexual violence;
- Documenting russian war crimes within the framework of the sexual and gender-based violence issues in Ukraine;
- International support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence;
- Combating human trafficking for sexual exploitation during the war;
- Legal and psychosocial assistance. Work with vicarious trauma.
International lawyer Albina Basysta, during her speech at the panel discussion, said that Ukraine now takes one of the leading positions in the world among organizations that are fighting sexual and gender-based violence, and developing mechanisms of victim support.
Thus, The FFU Foundation and the GIDNA project were presented at the event among the trusted organizations in Ukraine that provide qualified psychological assistance to women during the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.
The GIDNA project provides free and anonymous, qualified psychological help for women who have experienced or witnessed sexual violence from the russian occupiers. As also for those women whose relatives went missing in hostilities or are held in captivity. To apply for help, please fill out an application on gidna.org or call +38 (050) 909-88-81.
We thank the members of SEMA Ukraine for organizing the event, raising awareness of the topic of victims of sexual and gender-based violence in Ukraine at the international level, and actively fighting against stigmas in Ukrainian society!
