Every year on June 19, the world community celebrates the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. This date was established by a resolution of the UN General Assembly in 2015 to honor the victims and survivors of this brutal crime, as well as those who bravely fight for justice and assistance to those affected.
Sexual violence in armed conflict is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and human rights. It is used as a weapon of war to terrorize the civilian population, destroy national identity, intimidate communities, and undermine social integrity.
Ukraine, as a state currently experiencing full-scale armed aggression from the Russian Federation, unfortunately also faces cases of sexual violence committed during hostilities. National and international institutions are making efforts to document such crimes, support victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, as of June 2025, 1,119 appeals from victims of conflict-related sexual violence were registered in Ukraine, of which: 750 were from men, 342 were from women, 20 were from girls, and 7 were from boys.
As part of the International Day to Combat Sexual Violence in Conflict, representatives of the Department of Family, Youth, and Mass Events of National and Patriotic Education joined the national online webinar of the Humanitarian Coordination in the Field of Gender-Based Violence, the purpose of which was to raise awareness of the need to eradicate conflict-related sexual violence and honor victims.
A number of activities were carried out in the territorial communities of Donetsk region aimed at raising public awareness of the problem of violence in armed conflict: posting information content on official websites and pages on social networks, conducting information and educational online events for youth, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups of the population.
Representatives of structural units of territorial communities dealing with issues of combating violence joined the all-Ukrainian information campaign #WithOneVoiceAgainstSNPK and the Action organized by the Public Organization “Come on, Sisters!” in support of civilian women who are illegally held in Russian captivity.
On this day, we express solidarity with all victims of sexual violence. Our common goal is to build a society in which crimes against human dignity do not go unpunished.