The “Rape is a war crime” campaign has been recognised at the prestigious Progressive Women Awards, organised by the Federación de Mujeres Progresistas, a non-governmental organisation in Spain. At the 24th edition of the awards, the campaign was recognised for its initiative to speak up and publicly denounce sexual violence in war zones. The campaign was initiated by the Centre for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and Exploitation (KOPŽI), the Association of Ukrainian Women Lawyers “JurFem” and the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University.
The awards were established to showcase the best examples of the fight for equality in society. The “Rape is a war crime” award is given in the “International Initiatives” category, where the winners stand out in the fight against social exclusion, or in the involvement of women in social, political and cultural movements and international cooperation projects.
“This award and recognition of our campaign is very significant for us. It is a crucial boost at a time when impunity is deadly, and justice is desperately needed. At the same time, it is a recognition of the need to speak up even louder and bolder about Russia’s ongoing war crimes. And in particular, the brutal human rights violations resulting from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
“With the Rape is a war crime campaign, we aim to increase intolerance of gender-based violence in war zones and to provide assistance to survivors of sexual violence. It is therefore a great reward and motivation to be noticed by such an important NGO,” says Olena Sotnyk, a Ukrainian lawyer and one of the initiators of the campaign.
As the Russian-led war against Ukraine continues into its ninth month, reports of sexual violence are on the rise, alongside the killing of civilians, injuries and other attacks. A large proportion of Ukrainians who have left their homes are women and girls. Not everyone dares to report sexual atrocities, and often survivors of gender-based violence choose to remain alone amid their pain.
Campaigners have previously argued that sexual violence cases are among the most difficult because victims rarely seek help. Many survivors are also afraid to seek help because of the stigma attached to the issue in Ukraine. Therefore, awareness raising, and public condemnation of sexual violence is essential to combat these stigmas in the country. Survivors also suffer psychologically, as sexual violence is another weapon in war.
The annual Federación de Mujeres Progresistas awards recognise people who work for equality between women and men and carry out progressive projects or initiatives. Past winners include the writer Doris Lessing, the sociologist Alain Touraine, the politicians Ingrid Betancourt, Michelle Bachelet and Carme Chacón, the activists Rigoberta Menchú and Nawal Sadawi, the film director Pedro Almodóvar, and other distinguished athletes, journalists and organisations.
“Rape is a war crime” is an international campaign aimed at educating people about gender-based violence in conflict zones, helping survivors of sexual violence and demanding accountability for these war crimes.
The partners of the campaign include the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, the Ministry of Justice, the law firm Milašauskas, Martinkutė, Smaliukas & Partners, the communication agency Salve Agency and the European Institute for Gender Equality.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence during the armed conflict in Ukraine and needs psychological, medical or legal assistance, please contact us at +370 662 42920, info@rapeisawarcrime.org, or visit the campaign’s website www.rapeisawarcrime.org
