Today at 12:26
Representatives of the national government, Kyiv administration, United Nations agencies, and civil society held a joint press-conference – part of the ’16 Days Against Gender Violence Initiative’ – to report what progress has been made and what needs to be done to fight gender-based violence.
In Ukraine, the situation has improved but is still far from perfect. Many women affected by violence aren’t sure that they can get the necessary support and protection they need. The slogan of this year’s campaign against gender-based violence is “break the circle of violence.”
Organizers plan to launch a special phone line for victims of domestic violence. They are already training crisis psychologists to handle calls.
“In 2019, the number of appeals and crimes of this type grew by 11 percent. On the other hand, we, as the Ministry of Social Policy, can say that the trust in our Ministry also grew by 11 percent. The victims’ unsure behavior, the fear of the absolute helplessness of state authorities, which they sometimes experience, means that they are afraid to report these problems. Because people are afraid to go to law enforcement agencies, state institutions or even NGOs. And confidential communication via hotlines is much more practical,” Deputy Social Policy Minister Serhiy Nizhynsky said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy has registered 95,000 appeals over the past 10 months – 10,000 of the victims are men, 763 are children. According to the specialized UN fund, Ukraine is on the way to creating a society with zero-tolerance to domestic violence.
Assistance to sufferers of domestic violence is already available in Ukraine. A network of shelters for victims of domestic violence has been created. As of now, there are nine shelters and five day-centers.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that takes place each year. It commences on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and goes to Dec. 10, Human Rights Day.
