There have been growing numbers of reports that sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Sunday, horrifying images were taken near Kyiv by the photographer Mikhail Palinchak who saw three dead women’s bodies piled up naked and partially burned.
Human Rights Watch reported a woman had been assaulted at gun point by a Russian soldier in Kharkiv. Meanwhile near Kyiv, a mother told The Times she had been gang raped for hours while her four-year-old son hid in a boiler room.
Rape is a war crime and clearly prohibited by the rules outline in the Geneva Convention. Yet, sexual violence has regularly been used as a weapon historically. ‘It’s a grave breach of international humanitarian law, however it is widespread and continues to be used as a tactic of war, terrorism and political repression,’ a UN Women spokesperson told Grazia.
‘Sexual violence in conflict disproportionately impacts women and girls,’ they added. ‘[It] causes grave and lasting harm to survivors, their families and their communities, posing major barriers to peace and development.’
This is how you can help women in Ukraine right now
After hearing reports of the horrific sexual violence taking place in Ukraine, many of us have felt sad and instinctively hopeless. But there are some charities on the ground in Ukraine that are helping women during the war.
The Urgent Action Fund For Women’s Human Rights
The UAF is committed to supporting women, trans, and nonbinary activists on the ground in and surrounding Ukraine by providing flexible funding and security support. They’re specifically helping those who need: Support with emergency evacuations and relocations, legal, financial, and medical support, security and disaster survival training, increasing shelter capacities for children, women, and all other civilians, access to alternative communication channels, mobile internet, power banks, VPNs, proxy, spare phones, and tablets and your donations can help with that mission.
Give money here.
The Ukrainian Women’s Fund
The UWF are supporting women’s organisations with rapid response grants, which they are awarding four or five times a day. Their staff are in constant contact with organisations and activists around the world to mobilise resources to support Ukrainian women, particularly those who are vulnerable with disabilities and/or members of the LGBTQI+ community. They are also documenting women’s experiences from within the conflict and working with allies to shine a light on their stories.
Give money here.
Feminist Workshop
The Feminist Workshop works with the feminist organizations across Ukraine, especially in hotspots of violence, to support women of vulnerable groups and evacuate them to the western part of Ukraine. They are currently supporting women by helping them find housing, providing basic supplies, offering psychological support, providing child care, supporting with relocations and creating online content about the needs of vulnerable groups during the war.
Give money here.
La Strada International
La Strada International is a European non-profit organisation against human trafficking that works from a human rights perspective to support trafficked people. The platform aims to prevent trafficking and protect and realise the human rights of those who have been trafficked. They do this by giving assistance and support to victims and arming with with information and knowledge.
From 1997, the International Women’s Rights Center La Strada was the first organisation in Ukraine to work on human trafficking and since the war began they have had several calls to their emergency hotline from women and girls looking for help. Give money here.
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