The Hidden Front of Russia’s War: Combating Gender-Based Violence in Ukraine – Ukraine

By GALYNA KOTLIUK

A direct consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine is a rise in gender-based violence. If left unchecked, this trend could threaten Ukrainian society for decades. The reasons for this rise range from sexual violence by Russian troops to increasing domestic violence among Ukrainians due to war-related stress and trauma.

To counteract the negative impacts, Ukraine’s international supporters should address gender-based violence through both short-term support and their long-term recovery planning. Effective support mechanisms must be adaptable and durable to meet the evolving needs of survivors and communities. Therefore, fostering strategic partnerships between local and international actors is essential to create lasting positive change and resilience in Ukrainian society.

This policy brief provides recommendations on what international actors should do and how they should work with Ukrainian partners to achieve these goals.

The full report is available for download in English (and will be published shortly in Ukrainian).

This is the third policy brief in our series “Feminist Perspectives on Supporting Ukraine”. The project is supported by the Stabilization Platform, which is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. It also builds on GPPi’s previous research on the conflict in Ukraine and feminist foreign policy.

About the author: Galyna Kotliuki is a feminist human rights activist with expertise in gender and LGBTQ+ issues. She is currently a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, where she researches gender-based violence in the context of Ukraine’s reconstruction. She is also the program coordinator for gender democracy in the Kyiv office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.