Content Warning: Sexual Violence

On February 24th, Russia officially invaded Ukraine and the stories of violence, destruction, and chaos have spread internationally. Despite this, some of the most disturbing and heartbreaking stories, those of Ukrainian women and girls, have gone unreported. 

When Russia invaded Ukraine, many were expecting the destruction of cities and attacks by military forces. However, the worst weapon of all, and one that largely goes unnoticed in military conflicts, is that of sexual violence. Around Ukraine, a multitude of stories of gang rapes, sexual assaults at gunpoint, and sexual violence committed in front of young children, have skyrocketed. While most of these crimes are committed by Russian soldiers, Ukrainian women and girls are suffering violence at the hands of their own countrymen in the Ukrainian defense service as well. 

Many around the world have accused Russia of committing war crimes, with United States President Biden stating (unofficially) that he believes that President Putin is a war criminal. In 2008, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1820, which condemns sexual violence as a weapon and states that “rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, or a constitutive act with respect to genocide.” In addition to the sheer violence of the invasion, many, such as the Human Rights Watch, are including sexual violence under the list of war crimes Russia has allegedly committed.

The stories are haunting and deeply concerning for women’s rights in Ukraine. In Bucha, around 25 women and girls, aged 14 to 24, were each imprisoned and sexually assaulted multiple times — nine of them are now pregnant by their rapists. According to the victims, “Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn't want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children.” 

In a neighborhood west of Kyiv, a woman was raped by a Russian soldier by gunpoint. The man broke into her house, forced her into a separate building, where he repeatedly assaulted her. After the assaults, she returned home to find her dead husband who was shot multiple times in the abdomen. While she was saved by other soldiers, the woman reported that they forced her to give them her husband’s belongings and would take drugs and get intoxicated in her house. The woman is now psychologically and physically traumatized and is receiving support at a nearby hospital. In a separate village, a father was shot and killed trying to protect his family. After he passed, soldiers threatened to hurt their child if his wife did not comply to sexual intercourse. While the wife did not resist the several rapes, this was still done without consent and by force. Throughout multiple social media platforms, video testimonies of female victims, ranging from minor children to elderly women are coming forward about their stories of rape and sexual violence during the war.

When Russia first invaded, sexual violence, among other concerns, was the first thought on Antonina Medvedchuk’s mind. Medvedchuk said that the first items she packed were condoms and scissors to use as a weapon. This sentiment was likely shared by other Ukrainian women as well.

While many other women and girls are suffering the same violence, a large number of these cases are going unreported. This is for several reasons, such as fear of retaliation and permanent emotional, psychological, and physical damage. Even with cases that are reported, the chances of getting justice are slim, with the war being far from over, preventing a stable court system to investigate these crimes. 

In the war in Ukraine, it is women and girls who are and will be hurt the most. Rape has been used as a weapon of war for hundreds of years. Despite Resolution 1820, sexual violence crimes during wartime have largely gone uninvestigated and unaddressed by investigative forces and the courts. This is largely because of the multitude of other concerns in post-war countries, such as physically rebuilding communities and stabilizing governments.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will leave long-lasting scars. Not only are women the majority of those displaced, but they are more likely to suffer a loss of access to healthcare, education, food, water, and proper sanitation. Thousands of Ukrainian women are also expected to give birth within the next few months, creating additional safety and healthcare concerns as the majority of them will be without essential, professional prenatal care. In March, a maternity hospital in Mariupol was badly shelled by Russian forces, with a picture of a pregnant woman being carried out on a stretcher circulating international news outlets. Later it was discovered that both the mother and the baby had died. 

In order to help Ukrainians and those affected by the Russian invasion, there must be a focus on protecting and empowering women and girls. Years after this invasion, there will be immense impacts on the lives of Ukrainian people, and women are likely to be even more disadvantaged than they already are. All of the stories of female victims are civilians stuck in the middle of a crossfire. From young girls to elderly women, too many are forced to live with the trauma from this invasion. During international conflicts and after, there must be support for women and girls to uplift them so they will not have to live with the effects of war even longer.

Supporting organizations like La Strada Ukraine, a charity dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence, are the key to achieving this goal. Not only does La Strada Ukraine (and the larger organization, La Strada International) advocate for legislative change, they aid survivors in providing housing and shelter assistance, educate the wider population on these issues, and partner with other international organizations dedicated to the same mission. With organizations dedicated to supporting these groups, and in this case, Ukrainian women and girls, the world is one step closer to providing the support that women and girls need during wartime.