I would like to thank Her Excellency, Ms. Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, for organizing this Summit and for the opportunity to address the devastating impact of conflict-related sexual violence. Since February, the United Nations has received over 150 reported allegations of sexual violence, committed against women, girls, men and boys. These include harrowing personal testimonies of rape at gunpoint and rape in front of family members, as a consequence of the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity by Russian Forces. At the same time, we know that sexual violence is a chronically underreported crime and that these data only represent the extreme tip of the iceberg.
Sexual violence is one of the most devastating forms of violence committed mainly against women and girls but also men and boys, during armed conflicts. It has lasting, harmful effects on victims, their families, communities and societies. It shatters lives and livelihoods, with consequences that echo across generations, including in the plight of children born of wartime rape. Wartime sexual violence has enduring effects on survivors that ripple outward to also devastate families, shred the social fabric, and undercut community cohesion. It is a crime that destroys relationships, as well as personal health and resilience. Secondary traumatic stress is also suffered by family members, especially those forced to witness the assault. History has shown us that unresolved trauma is continued trauma, which only compounds over time when left unaddressed. Indeed, the effects of conflict-related sexual violence linger long after the guns fall silent. Survivors endure nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and depression, often exacerbated by social ostracism, rejection, and shame. In the wake of this crime, which precisely aims to humiliate, dehumanize, and terrorize its targets, the physical and psychological trauma is profound. Some victims are infected with sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. As well as causing physical injury, it is associated with an increased risk of a range of sexual and reproductive health problems, with both immediate and long-term consequences.
In May, I visited L’viv and Kyiv, and signed a Framework of Cooperation with the Government of Ukraine on the Prevention and Response to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. While the Framework includes a number of preventive elements, such as strengthening justice and accountability, and enhancing security and defense sector engagement, one of its central priorities is the restoration of the physical and mental health of survivors of sexual violence through the provision of comprehensive services.
Everything begins with the experiences of the survivor. These experiences determine the needs and the needs determine the services required. Such services must encompass immediate life-saving medical interventions to address the physical trauma of rape; sexual and reproductive health services, including safe abortion care; specialized and sustained trauma counseling; access to safe shelter; and protection from reprisals and further violence. A survivor-centered approach helps to promote the recovery of survivor and reinforce their capacity to make decisions about possible interventions. Treating survivors with dignity by helping them navigate the medical, legal, and judicial systems, is crucial to their ability to seek justice and to their healing process.
In Ukraine, due to ongoing active hostilities, mass internal displacement, and the stigma associated with sexual violence, victims have often been unable to access services. Referral pathways have ceased to function in many locations, especially in eastern Ukraine. For example, prior to February, 20 medical service delivery points and maternity hospitals were providing assistance to survivors of gender-based violence, with the support of UNFPA. By April, only nine such facilities remained operational, due to damage from hostilities and staffing shortages. Therefore, it is essential that we prioritize support for survivors of sexual violence as a life-saving component of the overall humanitarian response, and that we dedicate a level of resources commensurate with the gravity and scale of this challenge. This will entail support to Ukraine’s national health and social services systems, as well as to Ukrainian women-led organizations, who are active on the frontlines of the sexual and gender-based violence response.
Ladies and gentlemen, too often, the needs of women and girls in conflict settings have been sidelined and treated as an afterthought. We cannot allow this history of silence and inaction to be repeated in the context of Ukraine. The physical and psychological health of survivors, their families, and communities hangs in the balance. Its restoration will require sustained political resolve and resources to empower survivors and help them replace horror with healing and hope.
Thank you.