The film "Break the Silence" about the impact of war on domestic violence was presented in Kyiv

The film tells the story of the full impact on the level and forms of domestic violence. In addition, the documentary highlights the topic of helping victims of war-related violence, in particular sexual violence.

The film premiered at the Oktiabr cinema and attracted an audience of around 300 people. Guests of the event included the Ambassadors of Spain, Finland, Croatia to Ukraine and representatives of the embassies of France, Japan, Belgium, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic. The event was opened with opening remarks by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine Ms. Larissa Galadza.

Canada is committed to support Ukraine and Ukrainians for as long as needed, not only to protect it from Russia's military aggression, but also to address the consequences of the war for the most vulnerable. Our collective support is designed to create a safe space for all survivors of sexual and gender-based violence seeking help, and to ensure that no one is left behind in these difficult times. - said Ms. Larysa Galadza, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Ukraine.

In addition to services supported by the Canadian government, the film reflects how professionals from services supported by the UK government provide assistance. In particular, the work of the Aurora platform and mobile psycho-social support teams is highlighted.

Addressing gender-based violence is a priority for the UK government. We are therefore working closely with partners in Ukraine to ensure that survivors receive the support they need. I am proud that this work helps survivors and we will continue these efforts, such as the work of the Aurora platform, among others. Those who need help need to know that it is available and they are not left to their own devices. This is what the film Breaking the Silence is about," said Ms Melinda Simmons, UK Ambassador to Ukraine.

The film also highlights the work of Rescue Centres, the Hotline for Men, shelters, crisis rooms, and specialists from the NGO La Strada-Ukraine. Most of these services are supported by the UN Population Fund and other UN agencies.

The situation in Ukraine, caused by the Russian invasion and escalation of the war, has affected vulnerable Ukrainians to domestic violence, sexual violence and, as we know, has unfortunately led to war-related sexual violence. The situation has especially worsened for women and girls, who are much more vulnerable because of the war," said Denise Brown, UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine. So it is very important to make sure people know where to go for support and understand what services are available. We all need to know where to turn. The documentary "Breaking the Silence" shows that help is available no matter what the circumstances. Psychologists, social workers, lawyers, police come to help. And we are honoured to support them.

Maria Efrosinina, the Honorary Ambassador of UNFPA in Ukraine, who is an active advocate of the rights of victims of domestic violence and war-related violence, also supported the screening of the film.

In times of war, when a country is going through an enormous amount of suffering and pain, people sometimes belittle their own experiences, putting them off, saying that first we have to win the war. Of course, we must all continue to do our best in order to live in a free country, but it is important that we do not forget about ourselves, that violence should not be tolerated under any circumstances, that we should not close our eyes to our own families as a result. There is help and it is closer than it seems. The main thing is not to keep silent about violence - this is what the film "Breaking the Silence" is about," said Maria Efrosinina, honorary ambassador of UNFPA in Ukraine.

StarLight Media Holding became a media partner of the film production and the event.

Anastasia Shteingauz, Head of Starlight Doc, ICTV, ICTV2 TV-channels:

It may seem to some that a full-scale war with all its horrors and pain has put domestic social problems on pause. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We know that the problem of domestic violence remains acute and may worsen in the short term. We know that those who previously found it difficult to dare to seek help now face new barriers - both general, psychological and economic. So we are grateful to our partners, the United Nations Population Fund, for making this documentary. It is our common documentary manifesto, reminding us: war must not prevent us from asking for help. There are professional and compassionate teams, services and facilities that continue to work to help and there are people who need support now.

With the outbreak of a major war in February 2022 and the increase in the number of internally displaced people, the issues of countering and preventing gender-based violence have become extremely relevant.

The situation has become particularly acute for at-risk groups. This applies in particular to people of retirement age, some of whom have taken in children, grandchildren or relatives. The number of children has not decreased either. They are also at risk, because they depend on their parents' decisions, e.g. whether to leave the front-line areas or to change their place of residence. This can lead to conflicts within families.

According to La Strada-Ukraine, the National Hotline for Prevention and Counteraction to Gender-Based Violence has received the most calls in the last three years in 2022. Specialists received 38,472 calls. In 2019, for example, there were almost 10,000 fewer calls.

At the same time, the police and social welfare received 251,829 calls about domestic violence in 2022.

In addition, the focus of help has widened as both social services and the police have started to support survivors of war-related violence, particularly sexual violence.

Survivors of this type of violence are often afraid to seek help. Therefore, in addition to dealing with the consequences of violence, awareness-raising is necessary, part of which is the film "Breaking the Silence".

As of May, the police had received 82 reports of rape and other sexual offences committed by the Russian military against civilians. But this figure does not reflect the real picture, because there are some people who are afraid to seek help, some who are still in the occupied territories and are not able to get full support, whether they understand the risk of persecution by the occupation authorities. But at the same time we see how confidence in law enforcement agencies is growing. We are convinced that this is succeeding thanks to the human-centred approach that the police are taking today. We are confident that trust will become even higher once all those working with victims of war-related sexual violence undergo a special online module developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs," stressed Deputy Interior Minister Kateryna Pavlichenko.

If you or your loved ones are in need of expert assistance, please visit the UNFPA website for support services contacts.

The documentary is available on UNFPA's YouTube channel.

The documentary was made possible thanks to the support of the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, USAID and the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine.