First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, participated in the international conference "Restoring Rights for Victims of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: A Component of Peace and Global Security," held in Kyiv. Also in attendance were: Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, other government representatives, parliamentarians, members of civil society organizations, and a wide range of international partners.
Representatives from countries such as the UK, Japan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luxembourg, Norway, Colombia, Switzerland, Moldova, Sweden, Finland, and others participated in the conference.
The event brought together the international community to strengthen effective assistance to all those who suffered from sexual violence during Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as to search for ways to achieve real justice. It was emphasized during the conference that one of the key elements for restoring the rights of victims of conflict-related sexual violence should be reparations.
The First Lady noted that victims of sexual violence during war cannot wait for "classic" reparations to occur when the war ends or when Russia agrees to pay compensation. Action needs to be taken immediately.
"Reparations for victims of gross human rights violations, including victims of conflict-related sexual violence, are not just economic support. This is an important step towards restoring justice. And such justice is needed not only for Ukraine. Justice for Ukrainian victims of violence is now a mirror for the world itself," remarked Olena Zelenska.
As part of the event, Vice Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna presented the first project in Ukraine for urgent interim reparations for victims of sexual violence during the war.
The initiative represents a unique case in the history of reparative measures, where the state collaborates with civil society and non-governmental organizations during wartime to develop steps for providing urgent interim reparations.
The project involves identifying and identifying victims of sexual violence, determining the compliance of each individual case with criteria for sexual violence, and directly providing interim compensation to identified victims.
First and foremost, it will take into account a personalized approach to each affected individual, as well as their suggestions. Indeed, the affected individuals are already involved in all processes within the project's implementation. The initiative envisages providing one-time interim compensations to all identified victims by the end of October 2024. Within the framework of the pilot project, 500 individuals will be eligible for one-time interim compensations.
The project was initiated by the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, jointly with the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy and the Global Survivors Fund. It is being implemented in cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General, the International Damage Registry, and the Ministry of Justice.
"As long as an international compensation mechanism is not established and Russia's confiscated assets are not directed to support Ukraine, appropriate assistance from partner countries is also crucial for us. We cannot undo the pain inflicted by the aggressor. But we can alleviate that pain. Show that not everyone in the world is a killer or a rapist. That help and support exist. That there is justice. That there is something to live for," emphasized the President's wife.
The event was organized by the Government of Ukraine with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom in partnership with the Association of Women Lawyers of Ukraine "JurFem" and the Ukrainian Women's Fund.
Background: As of today, prosecutors have documented 274 cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). It is difficult to assess the true scale of these crimes due to the ongoing hostilities, the temporary occupation by Russia of parts of Ukrainian territory, limited access to assistance for citizens, and the stigma that prevents victims from reporting crimes. Experience from other countries shows that victims may report CRSV many years later.
Urgent interim reparations are a form of compensation for victims when there is no need to wait for the aggressor country to compensate losses to individuals and the country it attacked.
