Justice and Healing in Ukraine

First Lady Olena Zelenska recently voiced the critical demands of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) at the “United for Justice: Strengthening Partnerships to Support Survivors of CRSV” conference. Ukraine, under its chairmanship of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict (PSVI), hosted this significant event.

Zelenska highlighted Ukraine’s painful firsthand experience with CRSV, primarily perpetrated by Russian forces. She detailed the traumatic impact on a broad spectrum of victims, including women, men, children, civilians, and captured servicemembers. As more survivors find the courage to share their stories, the need for robust support mechanisms becomes increasingly apparent. The First Lady emphasized the state’s efforts in creating conditions conducive to survivors coming forward, which include enhanced services, the formation of mobile teams, and specialized training for psychologists and law enforcement in trauma-sensitive communication.

The conference also marked a pivotal moment for the implementation of Ukraine’s pilot project on urgent interim reparations. Since its initiation, the project has seen over 1,200 applications, with nearly 950 reparations approved and more than 600 survivors already benefiting from the payments. These efforts are part of a broader initiative that led to the development of a draft law aimed at providing legal and social protection for CRSV survivors. Zelenska expressed hope for the full operationalization of this law, which underscores the commitment to not just respect and safety for survivors, but crucially, the pursuit of justice and the punishment of perpetrators.