UN Women and partners to scale up a survivor-centred response to conflict related sexual violence in Ukraine
Date:
Photo: NGO “UA Experts”
Kyiv, 26 November 2025 — Government officials, UN entities, women-led civil society organizations (CSOs), survivors’ networks and donor representatives gathered in Kyiv for a roundtable titled “Strengthening Partnerships for a Survivor Centered Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) Response in Ukraine”.
Organized within the framework of High level meeting of the Global Alliance to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI), the roundtable was jointly convened by the United Nations in Ukraine, together with the UN Action Network Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, of which UN Women is a member, in partnership with the Government of Ukraine.
The event showcased results of the joint UN, civil society (particularly women and survivor-led organizations), and Government response to CRSV, set priorities for the next phase of work and sought to secure sustained funding and resources to meet survivors’ needs. Discussions focused on how to keep CRSV survivors and their rights at the center of Ukraine’s recovery and EU integration processes, including through stronger protection and better access to survivor centered services.
Read more about the key results of the partnership between Ukraine and the United Nations to build a survivor centered response to conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) here.
Photo: NGO “UA Experts”
CRSV in Ukraine: Scale and Impact
Conflict-related sexual violence remains one of the gravest consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Between 24 February 2022 and 31 May 2025, OHCHR documented 484 cases of CRSV against civilians and prisoners of war, including 350 men, 119 women, 13 girls and 2 boys. Civil society and survivor networks underline that these figures represent only a fraction of the real scale, as stigma, fear of reprisals, trauma and displacement continue to prevent many survivors from reporting and accessing support.
The consequences of conflict-related sexual violence cause profound and long-lasting harm. CRSV often results in severe physical and mental health consequences, unwanted pregnancies, family separation, social exclusion and economic insecurity, undermining their safety, dignity and ability to rebuild their lives.
During the event, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence shared powerful testimonies about the long-term impact of these war crimes on their physical and mental health, their families and communities. Their stories highlighted both the often invisible lasting effects of CRSV and the transformative role of safety, comprehensive services and reparations in supporting healing, recovery and participation in public life.
UN Women’s role in building a survivor-centred response to CRSV in Ukraine
UN Women has supported major progress in advancing a survivor centered response to CRSV in Ukraine. In close collaboration with Ukrainian state institutions and women led and survivor led civil society organizations, UN Women has contributed to historic policy gains, including the adoption of two landmark laws in November 2024 that establish the first ever national reparations framework for CRSV survivors during an active international conflict. Building on this foundation, UN Women has supported urgent interim reparations that deliver comprehensive in-kind rehabilitation packages to survivors, while also supporting justice sector reforms aligned with international criminal law standards.
At the institutional level, UN Women Ukraine has strengthened the State’s capacity to prevent and respond to CRSV. Through embedded technical expertise and targeted capacity building, UN Women has equipped government entities, law enforcement and emergency responders with survivor centered tools, methodologies and coordinated procedures. This has included developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks for the CRSV response, integrating CRSV priorities into the updated National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 “Women, Peace and Security”, and training hundreds of officials on ethical, trauma-informed approaches. These efforts have strengthened national coordination mechanisms and helped ensure that CRSV considerations are systematically reflected across Ukraine’s governance, justice and recovery agendas.
At the community level, UN Women’s partnerships with ten women led and survivor led CSOs have expanded access to frontline support for survivors. Together with these organizations, UN Women has conducted research on risks such as trafficking and online exploitation, created digital safety and legal navigation tools, trained a national pool of women paralegals, many of whom are survivors, and supported nationwide awareness raising campaigns that reached over 2.6 million people. Field missions across regions including Dnipro, Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kharkiv further strengthened referral pathways and ensured that survivor voices directly informed service improvements, advancing justice, protection, empowerment and accountability for CRSV survivors in Ukraine.
Where survivors can seek support:
If you or someone you know has experienced conflict-related sexual violence or needs support, the following tools and services are available:
You can also read the analytical report on trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Ukraine via the QR-code below:
The roundtable “Strengthening Partnerships for a Survivor Centered Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) Response in Ukraine” was part of the high level meeting of the Global Alliance to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI), organized at the initiative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro Atlantic Integration together with the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, in cooperation with UNFPA and with the support of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict’s Ukraine Programme and NGO “UA Experts”.
The roundtable took place during the "16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence" campaign, an international initiative held annually from 25 November to 10 December. It aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) and draw attention to its various forms, including digital violence.