In the face of ongoing security threats in Ukraine, women and girls are experiencing increased gender-based violence. UN Women has created four safe spaces for women in the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Ivano-Frankivsk to meet the specific needs of their beneficiaries.
Since the launch of full-scale Russian invasion a year ago, over 2,000 women have been confirmed dead in attacks across Ukraine.
Total numbers are likely to be much higher: according to the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, women account for nearly 40 per cent of the over 21,000 civilian casualties recorded in 2022. And of the estimated 7.9 million internally displaced peoples in Ukraine, women now constitute at least 90 per cent.
A Rapid Gender Analysis carried out by UN Women and partners revealed that women were being disproportionately affected by the crisis in other ways too.
In the face of ongoing security threats, women and girls are experiencing increased gender-based violence—including intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, and conflict-related sexual violence. Deteriorating socio-economic conditions further exacerbate this threat, heightening rates of sexual exploitation, trafficking and other forms of violence. Twelve months in, support services remain insufficient to meet survivors’ needs.
This lack is compounded by displacement, which renders services and resources of all kinds even less accessible to women. And the psychological impacts of the crisis make it all the more difficult to get the necessary support.
“In all the chaos of displacement and emotional stress because of the war, it’s very hard to stay focused and voice your needs,” says Oksana, who was displaced from her hometown of Skadovsk by the invasion.
In the midst of displacement, 83 per cent of women also report loss of income. On top of lost livelihoods, women in Ukraine are struggling with massive increases in unpaid care work. They are increasingly taking on leadership roles within their households and communities—and yet they remain largely underrepresented in decision-making spaces related to humanitarian and peace processes.
Healing together
Launched by UN Women in September 2022, Safe Spaces for Women and Girls Pilot Initiative, is based on the Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative, which has been developing, implementing and evaluating comprehensive approaches to address sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces for over 10 years.
Together with women’s rights organizations and other local partners, UN Women worked to adapt this initiative to the local context. The result was the creation of four safe spaces for women in the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Ivano-Frankivsk. Developed based on assessments conducted with diverse women in each of the selected locations, the spaces are designed to meet the specific needs of their beneficiaries.
Each space provides crucial resources and services that displaced women have had trouble accessing. They distribute hygiene kits, educational resources, and offer multidimensional forms of support, including psychological counselling for both adults and children, access to legal advice, and information about local employment and housing resources and survivor services. Support is also offered to the partners operating the safe spaces, who have participated in discussions about the importance of self-care and techniques to deal with vicarious trauma.
They also offer childcare, with a dedicated child-friendly space in each location. While their children play, women have lots of opportunities to recharge, heal and learn. They can take part in yoga or meditation classes, join learning sessions on preventing discrimination and addressing different forms of violence against women, and attend workshops that help them build employment and other skills.
Source: UN Women