Abstract
BackgroundSince 2014, over 1.6 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In 2014, 8% of reproductive-aged women in Ukraine had ever experienced sexual violence, compared to 5% in 2007. This increase was driven by non-domestic sexual violence. Our study examined characteristics of women in eastern Ukraine receiving psychosocial services following sexual violence compared to survivors of other forms of gender-based violence.MethodsIntake data collected between February 2016 and June 2017 by psychosocial service providers in five conflict-affected areas of Ukraine from women, aged 15–49, (N = 8525), was analyzed. Descriptive analysis and covariate adjusted logistic and negative binomial regressions were used to identify socioeconomic, incident and access to services factors associated with having experienced sexual violence compared to other forms of violence.ResultsAmong this sample of survivors receiving psychosocial services, 2.6% (n = 220) reported experiencing sexual violence. A majority of sexual violence acts reported were committed by non-domestic perpetrators (61.4%); followed by intimate partners (25.9%). Almost half of sexual violence cases occurred at home (49.1%). Experiencing sexual violence was positively associated with being younger, single and internally displaced, and negatively with engaging in unpaid labor, such as childcare. Women who experienced sexual violence delayed seeking care by 4 days compared to other gender-based violence survivors. Sexual violence survivors were less likely than physical violence survivors to have reported the incident prior to receiving care (adjusted odds ratio = 0.39; 95% confidence interval = 0.28–0.54).ConclusionsNon-domestic and intimate partner sexual violence were both prevalent in our sample. Compared to survivors disclosing other types of gender-based violence, sexual violence survivors appear to face unique barriers to reporting and accessing timely care. Prevention and outreach programs tailored to the specific vulnerabilities, such as displacement status, and needs of sexual violence survivors in conflict settings are urgently needed.
Highlights
Since 2014, over 1.6 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine
Note: Odds Ratios (OR) Odds ratio Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) Adjusted odds ratio, IDP Internally displaced person a adjusted for all listed sociodemographic characteristics b adjusted for age and marital and residency status age was associated with a 6% reduction in the odds of experiencing sexual violence compared to physical violence and 5% compared to noncontact violence (AOR = 0.95; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.93–0.97)
The 2.6% prevalence of sexual violence in our sample was lower than that reported in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) survey, which found that 5.6% of women who experienced any type of genderbased violence (GBV) experienced sexual violence [15]
Summary
Since 2014, over 1.6 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. In 2014, 8% of reproductive-aged women in Ukraine had ever experienced sexual violence, compared to 5% in 2007. Our study examined characteristics of women in eastern Ukraine receiving psychosocial services following sexual violence compared to survivors of other forms of genderbased violence. Sexual violence in humanitarian crises Due to myriad factors, ranging from climate change to growing inequality, humanitarian crises have risen in recent decades, doubling in number between 2005 and 2017 [1]. These crises pose a direct threat to women’s right to health and to freedom from violence, rights enshrined in numerous international conventions [2]. Being younger and having the perpetrator be a family member are factors associated with delays in care [13]
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