Women’s Perspectives Centre NGO, members of UNP WG1, have launched the Initiative “Domestic violence: challenges related to war” within the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025–2026,” implemented by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with financial support from the European Union.
The initiative title: Domestic violence: challenges related to war
Organization: NGO Centre «Women’s Perspectives»
Objective: To conduct a comprehensive study and analysis of the situation regarding domestic violence committed by military personnel and veterans amidst the full-scale war; to document systemic barriers preventing victims from accessing protection and justice; and to develop specific recommendations for authorities on improving legislation and law enforcement practices.
The number of police reports concerning domestic violence involving military personnel is steadily rising, while female victims face social pressure and accusations of “betraying a hero-husband whom they should be supporting rather than calling the police on.” They also encounter attempts by the perpetrator to unofficially “settle” matters with the police, or instances where the perpetrator leverages their military status to exert influence over the courts.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has significantly exacerbated the problem of domestic violence. Specialists at the Women’s Rights House, as well as lawyers and psychotherapists within our network, are recording a steady rise in domestic violence cases involving military personnel and veterans—specifically a shift from psychological to physical and sexual abuse, alongside an increase in the frequency and severity of the violence.
Halyna Fedkovych, Women’s Rights House (NGO “Women’s Perspectives Center”):
Sweeping the problem under the rug is not the answer. The state should have developed rehabilitation programs for military personnel—and integrated the prevention of domestic and gender-based violence into existing programs—long ago.
As this is not currently happening, non-governmental organizations are forced to step in to protect and support women who have suffered violence at the hands of military perpetrators.
No achievements, status, or military uniform can justify violence.
We will document the systemic barriers preventing survivors from accessing protection and justice, and we will develop concrete recommendations for authorities to improve legislation and law enforcement practices.
For only by working together can we systematically combat violence, dismantle societal stereotypes, and drive the changes needed to ensure safety, protection, and access to fair justice for women.
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This initiative is implemented within the project “Supporting the Activities of the Ukrainian National Platform of the EaP CSF in 2025–2026,” carried out by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting with financial support from the European Union. The content of the research is the sole responsibility of Women’s Perspectives Centre NGO and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.
