Interview: Speaking through art, Ukrainian women confront sexual violence in conflict

Date: Thursday, 19 June 2025

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (19 June), UN Women spoke to two Ukrainian women artists about their experience and art as an expression of their resilience. Daria Zymenko is part of the NGO “SEMA Ukraine,” which brings together women who have survived sexual violence during captivity or occupation. Oleksandra Zborovska is a Ukrainian photographer and member of Ukrainian Women Photographers Organization, who works with Zymenko in creative art projects that explore deeply personal and socially relevant topics, including sexual violence in conflict.

“I met Oleksandra almost a year ago when I was developing an idea for an exhibition about my experience during the occupation and looking for a photographer,” recalled Daria Zymenko. “I wasn’t sure she would agree—the topic is difficult, and not everyone is ready to engage with someone else’s traumatic experience.”

Daria Zymenko, a member of CSO SEMA Ukraine, a network of women survivors of conflict-related sexual violence at Mykhailivska square downtown Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: Oleksandra Zborovska

A story of survival in Ukraine

In 2022 Zymenko and her family suffered Russian occupation of their village in the Kyiv region.

When Zymenko heard military vehicles moving through her village in the Kyiv region, her heart sank. She knew she was no longer safe.

Every day became a struggle to survive the war, as shelling continued and soldiers with machine guns surrounded the village. Everyone lived in constant and mortal fear.

Zymenko remembers being in a state of blurred reality—as if she had left her body and couldn’t return. Photographer Oleksandra Zborovska captured this emotional and psychological state on camera with striking precision.

Portrait of Daria Zymenko, taken in the house where she and her family lived under Russian occupation in February–March 2022. This photo was made in 2024. — Portrait of Daria Zymenko, taken in the house where she and her family lived in February–March 2022. This photo was made in 2024. Photo: Oleksandra Zborovska

“I was impressed by Oleksandra’s sensitivity, her strength, and her openness to experimentation,” shared Zymenko. “We also talked a lot—maybe that was the most important part.”

Since 2024, Zymenko and Zborovska have been collaborating on new creative projects to raise awareness about conflict-related sexual violence. Zborovska visited Zymenko’s house where she had lived during the occupation, looked through the drawings she had made at the time, and with utmost sensitivity, brought her experiences to life through photography.

Through a visual narrative, they wanted to showcase the voices of all women victims and survivors, including the ones who did not survive the torture and abuse.

Daria Zymenko, in her room in Kyiv, creating a collage. Photo credit: Oleksandra Zborovska

Shedding light on conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine

In 2023, the United Nations reported 3,688 cases of conflict-related sexual violence globally—a staggering 50 per cent increase from the previous year.

Between February 2022 - December 2024, the United Nations in Ukraine has documented 433 cases of conflict-related sexual violence, perpetrated against 302 men, 119 women, 10 girls and 2 boys, including rape, mutilation or violence to genitals, forced nudity, threats and attempted rape. The real numbers are likely to be much higher, as many cases go unreported due to stigma, fear, and ongoing insecurity.

“Sexual violence is a weapon of war,” explained Zborovska. “When Daria decided to speak up, it was very important for me to support her voice.”

"We can only guess what horrors are happening right now in the occupied territories. Perhaps Daria’s courage and her story will inspire others to find the strength to speak out."

Oleksandra Zborovska, photographer

Photographer Oleksandra Zborovska has been working with Daria since 2024 on creative projects to show her voice.

Resistance and healing through art

Together, the two women have recently participated in the "Serendipitous Events" art project, which brought together ten women innovators and ten artists to explore global challenges through creative artistic expressions. The project was organized by the NGO “Port of Culture” in partnership with UN Women, UNFPA, and Ukrainian House, a central hub for business, culture and socio-political life in Ukraine.

“For me personally, participating in this initiative was a profound experience, as I had the opportunity to meet and engage with many prominent women artists, scientists, and leaders,” said Zymenko.

“There is still no reliable data on how many people in Ukraine have been affected by conflict-related sexual violence,” reminded Zborovska. “We can only guess what horrors are happening right now in the occupied territories. Perhaps Daria’s courage and her story will inspire others to find the strength to speak out.”

“Creative art helps me process my own traumatic experience,” says Zymenko. “It’s a form of self-expression and reflection that allows me to understand what happened on a deeper level.”

This story was prepared as part of the UN inter-agency project, “United Action to Empower Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence”, with the support of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict Network, implemented by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women and International Organization for Migration (IOM), in cooperation with the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy (beneficiary of international technical assistance) and the Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.

This story was originally published on 17 June 2025 and has been updated with the latest data.