In the summer of 2023, a woman named Oksana, a 47-year-old Ukrainian government worker, attends a conference on sexual violence during wartime in Kiev organized by the association Sema-Ukraine. Despite wanting to share her experience during the Russian invasion, Oksana struggles to speak as her voice fails her. She confesses that she does not remember anything, as her eyes were blindfolded during the traumatic event. Feeling embarrassed, she leaves the conference hall, and the other attendees tactfully avoid looking at her.
Another woman at the conference, who goes by the pseudonym Viktoria, reveals that she has been contemplating sharing her testimony for months. Despite being 61 years old, Viktoria believes that older women like herself should be the ones to speak out about their experiences of violence, rather than leaving it to the younger generation. She has never told her family about what happened to her, but feels that now is the time to sacrifice her dignity in order to speak up and bring attention to the issue of sexual violence during war.
Viktoria, who lives in the region of Boutcha, shares her story of being raped by a young Russian soldier in her home during the occupation in March 2022. She recounts the events that took place in a peaceful, wooded suburb of Kiev at the beginning of the Russian invasion. Despite the family’s decision to flee in the face of advancing Russian troops, Viktoria chose to stay behind, thinking she would not be a target due to her age and lack of a male presence in the house. However, she was subjected to a brutal assault by the soldiers who invaded the neighborhood.
As the Russian soldiers took control of the area, Viktoria was forced to stay indoors while they looted and occupied the deserted homes. She was eventually confronted by a young soldier who ordered her to undress and forced her outside naked into the snow. With a rifle pointed at her back, she was made to run around the house and was kicked when she fell to her knees. Despite the traumatic experience, Viktoria is determined to speak out and raise awareness about the atrocities that occurred during the invasion.
The article discusses how the war in Ukraine did not begin in 2022 but had its origins in 2014, with the conflict in the Donbass region. This context sheds light on the repeated cycles of violence and displacement experienced by individuals like Viktoria, who had already lost everything once during the previous conflict. The psychological and emotional toll of such experiences, especially the trauma of sexual violence, is highlighted through the personal stories shared at the conference in Kiev.
The women’s testimonies at the conference underscore the importance of speaking out about sexual violence during wartime and the need for societal recognition and support for survivors. Despite the challenges and stigma associated with sharing such traumatic experiences, individuals like Oksana and Viktoria show courage and resilience in breaking their silence and confronting the painful memories of their past. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict and the pressing need for justice and healing for survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones.
