Ukraine’s Urgent Interim Reparations: historic milestone must become reality for all survivors of conflict-related sexual violence

Kyiv/Geneva, September 2025 — In the midst of ongoing war, Ukraine has achieved a historic first: more than 630 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence have received urgent interim reparations through a pioneering pilot project led by the Global Survivors Fund (GSF), in partnership with the Government of Ukraine, survivor networks, and civil society organisations. 

This initiative, the first of its kind in the world, demonstrated that reparations are not only possible during conflict, but essential. Survivors who took part in the project emphasised that interim reparations provided both immediate relief and recognition of the harms they suffered. Our approach - grounded in trauma sensitivity, and survivor participation - ensured accessibility while maintaining rigour.  

The urgent interim reparations pilot directly informed the creation of the Bardina Law (Law No.4067, adopted in November 2024), embedding survivor-centered principles into Ukraine’s legal framework. The law recognises the status of survivors of conflict-related violence and mandates compensation and other measures without imposing on survivors extra burdens, lengthy court proceedings, or the need for extra documentation.  

“We can see incredible progress on how women have started to speak, and how men have started too”, says Alisa Kovalenko, a filmmaker and survivor of conflict-related sexual violence. “It is a very important shift, as the wall of silence and stigma has been knocked down. The pilot project and Bardina Law are steps towards restoring fairness and justice.”  

Yet challenges remain. Approximately 400 survivors applied for reparations before the Bardina Law entered into force, and still await the compensation and support they are owed. To ensure no survivor is left behind, continuity of the pilot project is essential while the state finalises the implementation of the law. 

For Ukraine’s national reparations framework to be fully operational, sustainable funding is critical. Bilateral and multilateral donors, as well as innovative mechanisms such as the allocation of confiscated Russian assets, must be mobilised.  

Financing reparations should be seen as integral to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction efforts, ensuring that survivors of human rights violations are prioritised in this process. 

 

*This project was made possible thanks to the support of the Crisis and Support Centre of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (France) and the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation (Belgium). 

 

 

About the Global Survivors Fund (GSF): GSF works with survivors, local partners, technical experts, and government stakeholders to enhance access to reparations for and with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. We act to provide interim reparative measures when the responsible parties are unable or unwilling to provide reparation. We advocate at the international level for the implementation of reparation programmes. We also guide States and civil society by providing expertise and technical support for designing programmes. Our approach, that puts co-creation at the centre, aims to return agency and autonomy to those that have been stripped of it and ensures that actions are relevant, impactful, and driven by the aspirations of survivors.  

 

For press enquiries please contact: 

Sarah-Eve Hammond: shammond@globalsurvivorsfund.org +41 762949485