Interview with Iryna Dovhan, Advocate for Victims of Sexual Violence in the Ukraine War and member of the global network SEMA

[Photo 1] Iryna Dovhan ⓒIryna Dovhan

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : Please introduce yourself.

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : My name is Iryna Dovhan, and I am the head and founder of SEMA Ukraine. Before the 2014 Donbas War, I led an ordinary life with no particular interest in politics. When Russia invaded Ukraine, I began supporting the Ukrainian military by delivering food to checkpoints almost every day. This support led to my capture by Russian armed forces, where I endured torture and abuse until European journalists eventually rescued me. I became a member of SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence and in 2019, I founded SEMA Ukraine together with women who had experienced sexual violence in conflict zones.

“Abandoned” Women Who Decided to Connect and Support Each Other

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : What personally motivated you to support women affected by the Ukraine war? Could you also share any particular challenges you faced during your activities?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : In 2014, I was captured by Russian mercenaries in Donbas and subjected to torture and abuse. I survived thanks to Mauricio Lima, a journalist who exposed the torture and abuse I endured. My only fault was delivering food to the Ukrainian army. At that time, I didn’t fully grasp the brutality of the occupying forces. After experiencing such a traumatic ordeal and surviving by the skin of my teeth, I faced complete inaction of my government. Having lost everything, I was forced to move to another part of Ukraine, where I had to fend for myself without any help. When I managed to rebuild my life, I encountered other women who had been abandoned like me. When the “Mukwege Foundation” offered to collaborate, we decided to join forces. That’s how SEMA Ukraine was established—to connect and support each other. While we cannot assist every victim, we are doing a lot with the resources we have, and it is by no means an easy task. It is incredibly challenging to confront this cruelty whenever a new incident arises. Each new victim represents another tragedy and a life shattered.

[Photo 2] Iryna Dovhan during her captivity. She suffered not only torture and abuse but also public humiliation. ⓒ Iryna Dovhan

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : While the Russo-Ukrainian War has become protracted, the international community and media often highlight only the political and diplomatic issues, making it challenging to understand the damage the victims suffered. Can you describe the overall damage that individual Ukrainian women are experiencing during the war, including the issue of sexual violence?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : To shed light on the 11-year Russian aggression against Ukraine, it is essential to emphasize that it began in 2014 with the occupation of parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. From that point on, Russia used sexual violence as a weapon against those who opposed the aggression and resisted the annexation of these regions into Russian territory.

Many women resisted at that time. These women were active citizens in Donbas and were among the first victims of sexual violence. They were arrested and tortured. Since the region remains under occupation, there is no concrete data on how many of the detained women were tortured or killed. However, since 2014, numerous testimonies of sexual violence have emerged from Ukraine. SEMA Ukraine members were the first to investigate sexual violence in the occupied Donbas region.

In 2020, the Ukrainian Supreme Prosecutor’s Office collected testimonies from 11-12 women who acknowledged being victims of sexual violence and agreed to provide their testimonies. These testimonies were not made public, and the issue has not been addressed within Ukrainian society. The women who testified emphasized their desire to be recognized as survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Ukraine has granted status to those who have been tortured, taken prisoner, lost property, or suffered injuries. However, sexual violence has been treated as a particular case and has remained largely unacknowledged.

I believe this lack of recognition is one of the reasons for the tragic consequences faced by Ukrainian society and women since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukrainian society was unaware that Russia was using “CRSV” as a weapon and method of warfare to enforce obedience among the residents of occupied territories. This ignorance allowed many Ukrainian women to openly resist the Russian occupation forces in the early days of the occupation. Many women expressed strong opposition not only to the occupation but also to the presence of Russian troops on Ukrainian soil. As a result, these women were arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to sexual violence by the Russian military.

Another point to emphasize is that Ukrainian society, particularly women, was unprepared for the extreme level of sexual violence perpetrated by the Russian forces. The disparity between the Russian occupiers’ mindset and that of the local population regarding the value of human life, bodily integrity, and individual dignity was staggering.
The statistics on domestic violence in Ukraine were comparable to the average data in Europe. Ukrainian women have traditionally been respected in society as the guardians of the family. Therefore, the brutal mentality of the occupying forces and their treatment of women’s bodies as spoils of war was unexpected, making it even greater shock. Everything I have described aims to illustrate the immense scale and destructiveness of this war, as well as the severe consequences it inflicts on Ukrainian women with each passing day.

[Photo 3] Iryna Dovhan standing in the ruins ⓒ Iryna Dovhan

Transforming Trauma into “Post-traumatic Growth”

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : In your work on the ground supporting women victims of wartime sexual violence in Ukraine, you must have encountered many practical challenges, including the psychological and physical trauma they endure. From their perspective, what is the most serious challenge they are currently facing?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : What makes our organization unique is that it is entirely composed of women who have experienced war-related sexual violence. Therefore, I want to emphasize that female survivors who have undergone extensive recovery are now helping new victims in the most effective way possible. Our work today is based on sharing the experiences of overcoming trauma.

SEMA Ukraine’s goal is to help new victims transform their trauma into “post-traumatic growth.” It is crucial for them to learn from other group members’ experiences and avoid seeing themselves solely as victims. They are also encouraged to actively participate in the process of holding perpetrators accountable. We stress the importance of achieving all this with an open mind and through the struggle to overcome societal stigma. While we cannot immediately address or heal all the wounds caused by rape, many women find support through sisterhood and the examples of others who have overcome similar trauma.

Each woman’s tragedy is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. It is a challenging process that requires daily effort, perseverance, and self-discipline. Equally essential is the assurance that one is not facing this tragedy alone—knowing supportive people are around. This is a significant accomplishment of SEMA Ukraine.

From the perspective of victimized women, the most severe difficulty is the sense of “loss.” This includes the loss of family, such as a woman whose husband was shot by occupiers while trying to protect her from rape, or the loss of one’s foundation for life due to the destruction of a house by shelling. The situation is even more tragic when a woman who has survived the horrific experience of rape confronts the reality of her home being destroyed and all her possessions lost. Beyond direct losses, various difficulties arise, such as the breakdown of family relationships. There are countless heartbreaking stories, including a husband failing to protect his wife from rape to save his own life, broken relationships with children who witnessed the rape, the fear of judgment from others, and even robberies committed by the rapist after the assault.

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : You must have met and spoken with survivors of sexual violence during the war. Are there any particularly memorable cases, conversations, or experiences you’d like to share?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : The horrific cases I’ve encountered or heard about are endless: a 75-year-old female teacher was brutally beaten with a gunstock, knife and then raped all night by a Russian soldier. The soldier threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the rape, then stole her bicycle, the only valuable and essential item she owned, and fled the crime scene. One woman was gang-raped to the point of organ damage, while another 70-year-old woman was infected with hepatitis C after being brutally raped. A commander in a Russian reconnaissance unit forced a 17-year-old girl to drink vodka and then raped her. Another sad case is the one where a soldier shot a husband in the abdomen before raping his wife. The Russian military did not provide any help and refused to allow the injured husband to be transported to Ukrainian territory. The raped wife had to endure two days with her dying husband in agonizing pain.^[1]

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : What kind of material and psychological support does SEMA Ukraine offer to help women overcome the trauma of war and sexual violence?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : SEMA Ukraine operates a sponsorship account that covers certain medical services and long-term psychological support for women affected by war and sexual violence. The Mukwege Foundation has made this possible, and our most significant donations have come from Leopolis for Future and the Unaweza Foundation.

We are collaborating with the “International Organization for Migration (IOM)” to send new victims to its rehabilitation center. Additionally, through grants, we provide women with vouchers for groceries and hygiene kits. We’re also partnering with organizations offering psychological support to ensure all women can access free psychological assistance. Furthermore, we work with a convent in Fribourg, Switzerland, where the nuns invite women to assist with their rehabilitation. Some victims have already received interim reparations from the “Global Survivors Fund (GSF).”

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : What solidarity activities are being carried out between aid organizations and local victims, or among the victims, to encourage greater empathy and attention from the international community?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : SEMA Ukraine collaborates with numerous global organizations. Our members attend conferences and give interviews to European journalists. We have appeared as witnesses in several documentaries, speaking about the sexual violence that has occurred during the conflicts involving Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, thanks to support from the Mukwege Foundation, a documentary titled “Traces” (Сліди) is currently being produced by one of our members. We hope the truths revealed in this film, which addresses the consequences of sexual violence, will break through the international community’s apathy.

I am also a member of SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence. Through this global network, I got to meet survivors for other countries (Kosovo, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Colombia…) which inspired me and gave me the strength to start SEMA Ukraine. Without their experiences, SEMA Ukraine would never have achieved the success it has today. Many members of the SEMA network have become role models for Ukrainian women, inspiring them to fight conflict-related sexual violence.

The Chasm of Nationalism, Patriarchy, Hegemony, and Solidarity

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : As is always the case in wartime situations against the backdrop of ideologies such as nationalism, patriarchy, and interstate hegemony, the suffering of women who are victims of violence is frequently either justified or overlooked. What are your thoughts on this? Additionally, how are these ideologies currently influencing the situation on the ground?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : Answering this question is challenging because Ukraine has always been a peaceful country. If loving and respecting one’s homeland is considered nationalism, then I am a nationalist. The same applies to all the women of SEMA Ukraine who are Ukrainians and love Ukraine—they are nationalists as well. I have never encountered any other form of nationalism.

Ukraine is not a patriarchal country; gender equality is our universal way of life. While some rural communities have practically harbored stigmas, this brutal war has shifted attitudes towards rape victims, even in these areas. The war has made it clear that rapists are the enemy responsible for killing and destroying Ukrainians. The Russians are using sexual violence as a destructive weapon, turning Ukrainian women’s bodies into battlefields. Consequently, even in rural areas, rape victims are no longer stigmatized; instead, they receive support, empathy, and assistance from their communities.

I also find it challenging to accept the term “interstate hegemony.” It suggests that the war is merely a result of diplomatic relations between the two authorities rather than a unilateral invasion by Russia. The reality is quite different. Russia, as a foolish, cruel, and ruthless aggressor, has chosen to destroy Ukraine. They have devastated numerous settlements, killed thousands of women and children, maimed and raped many people, and shattered the lives of millions of Ukrainians. This destruction continues to this day.

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : Russia, like Ukraine, is also grappling with issues of “gender violence” against women internally during the war. The traditionally maintained macho fantasies and patriarchal culture in Russia can also serve as factors that justify violence in wartime situations. Given this context, I wonder if other gender violence issues are occurring throughout Ukrainian society beyond direct wartime sexual violence. What kind of solidarity do you think is needed between Russian and Ukrainian women in this situation?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : The word that pains me the most in this question is solidarity. How can I stand in solidarity with Russian women whose husbands are sent to Ukraine to murder and rape Ukrainians? For the past two years, I have been documenting and recording Russian crimes. I do not know what Russians are like from the internet; I have witnessed and heard their crimes firsthand.

The same goes for the 55 SEMA Ukraine women. None of them are ready for reconciliation. We dream that these inhuman beings, along with their weapons, will be gone from our territory. I believe that all Russian women will eventually have to face the consequences of the war their country initiated. I have no room for sympathy for them. I am saving my strength to help Ukrainian women.

I am convinced that the war has highlighted the differences between Ukrainians and Russians even more distinctly. I am also sure that we will continue to distance ourselves from the patriarchal Russian society. Ukraine does not face significant gender issues; women in our country can live freely and independently.

“Seeking Help to End This Terrible War”

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : What issues need to be addressed most urgently to prevent further wartime sexual violence?

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : The primary issue is the war itself. We are asking for help from all nations to resolve this grave problem. If the aggressors withdraw from Ukraine, the level of violence against women will return to pre-war conditions. The current issue of sexual violence will not be a new norm imposed by “Russkiy Mir” (Русский мир) but will instead end as an aberration.^[2]

🧶 Seo Seung Hyun : Lastly, if you have a message of solidarity for overcoming difficulties together, either for those worldwide watching the war in Ukraine or for the readers of the Webzine KYEOL, please share it.

🧶 Iryna Dovhan : I surveyed women, and everyone longed to return to a peaceful life. They are united in their request for international support in the form of weapons to help drive out the invaders. They seek protection for themselves and hope to prevent the recurrence of their traumatic experiences. Please support our heartfelt desire for peace and happiness.

[Photo 4] Iryna Dovhan, who earnestly hopes for peace and happiness in Ukraine ⓒ Iryna Dovhan