The Ukrainian Institute of America hosted an international event, “From Principles to Voices: Global CRSV Practices, Victim-Centered, and Survivors’ Stories in Ukraine.” The event was held as part of the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and was dedicated to addressing conflict-related sexual violence.
This was reported in a press release by WFUWO United Nations.
In particular, the event aimed to draw attention to the urgent need to address conflict-related sexual violence and demonstrate the power of survivors’ stories as an advocacy tool.
As reported, the event was organized by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy of Ukraine Kateryna Levchenko, and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations.
In particular, the event was held with the participation of such speakers as Taras Kachka - Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Mariana Betsa - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Emily Maltman - Deputy Director of the Department for Gender and Children in Conflict, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Dr. Kateryna Levchenko - Government Commissioner for Gender Policy of Ukraine, Melanne Verver - Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security; former US Ambassador for Global Women's Issues, Alice Kovalenko - film director, member of SEMA Ukraine, Iryna Dovgan - director of SEMA Ukraine, Lyudmila Huseynova - founder of the NGO Numo, Sisters!, Esther Dingemans - executive director of the Global Survivors Fund, Catherine Coppens - executive director of the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation, Katie L. Nalyveiko - president of the Ukrainian Institute of America.
It is noted that during the event, the international collection “Compendium of Best Practices of a Survivor-Centered Approach” was presented - a document that systematizes practices of supporting people who have survived sexual violence in conflicts. Ukraine prepared this material during its chairmanship of the International Alliance for the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Also, during the event, excerpts from the film "Slidy"created by director Alice Kovalenko with the support of the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation, were shown. The film tells the stories of six Ukrainian women who survived sexual violence and torture during the Russian aggression. The world premiere of the film was hosted at the Berlin International Film Festival in February this year.
It was also noted that the event included an exhibition of artwork, which was first presented in Ukraine in 2025 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1325 “Women, Peace and Security”.
“Victim-centeredness is not a static concept, but an active framework that determines the construction of response systems in partnership with people who have survived violence”, the materials of the event emphasize.
According to the head of the NGO “Numo, sestri!” Lyudmila Huseynova, the world should remember Ukrainian women who are still in Russian prisons or in occupied territories.
“Every day, Ukrainian men and women in the occupied territories are tortured, illegally detained and imprisoned simply for being Ukrainian,” she stressed.
According to her, the stories of the victims demonstrate the depth of the trauma caused by years of captivity, and at the same time emphasize the need for international solidarity and bringing the perpetrators to justice. She called on the international community to not remain silent, to support the fight for justice and to seek the punishment of war criminals.
Recall that the UN human rights monitoring mission has documented at least 484 cases of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Russian authorities since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Investigators emphasize that the real figure is likely much higher.
Photo: Numo, sestry
Author: Inna Mikhno