The Duchess of Edinburgh has called for justice for victims of wartime sexual violence following her visit to Ukraine.
Sophie, 59, last month became the first member of the royal family to visit the country since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
His visit to kyiv, which is understood to have been at the request of the Foreign Office, was aimed at demonstrating solidarity with the women, men and children who have been affected by Putin’s war.
The Duchess, after listening to survivors of sexual violence bravely share their stories, condemned the “atrocious crimes” that are being used to “degrade, destroy and control” citizens. The Daily Telegraph reported.
She argued that during war “women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs” and called for more prevention safeguards to be put in place, as well as measures to support victims of sexual violence.
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, called for justice for victims of wartime sexual violence while speaking at a reception at the home of Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, in kyiv on April 29, 2024 (pictured ).
Sophie, 59, last month became the first member of the royal family to visit the country since the Russian invasion in February 2022. She and the UK ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, are pictured visiting the car cemetery on April 29, 2024 in Irpin. , Ukraine
‘Rape is used to degrade, degrade and destroy. And we have to do better to try to prevent that from happening,” Sophie reportedly said as she spoke at a reception at the home of Martin Harris, UK ambassador to Ukraine, on April 29.
“Where we cannot prevent this from happening, what we must do is implement measures to support those who have been victims of such crimes.”
The duchess, who announced her commitment to standing up for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in 2019, said that while “others in leadership positions engage with the politics of war,” she aims to put “related sexual violence with conflict on the table as a devastating way. consequence’.
During her visit to Ukraine, Sophie met with survivors of sexual violence, both men and women, as well as internally displaced women (IDPs) and volunteers helping their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion.
He also met with children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Russia as part of a sustained campaign to erase Ukrainian culture.
During her speech, Sophie added that in a world with “so many current and threatening crises,” “my hope is that where conflict occurs, more attention will be paid to the early creation of well-funded support systems for survivors and those who have been victims of internally displaced people’.
He called for accessible medical and psychological interventions and a “collection of evidence for future prosecutions and the destigmatization of victims.”
Sophie traveled to kyiv at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her visit saw her spend time with the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. The couple appears together on April 29, 2024.
Sophie is believed to have delivered a letter from King Charles III to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president is pictured greeting Sophie before their talks in kyiv on April 29, 2024.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and UK Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris, left, visit the Romanivska Bridge in the town of Irpin on Monday April 29, 2024 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sophie and her children look at a Ukrainian flag while visiting the Save Ukraine family center in the city of Irpin on April 29, 2024.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and UK Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris visit the UNFPA office to meet war victims in kyiv, Ukraine, April 29, 2024
Sophie traveled to kyiv at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the visit, she delivered a letter from the king to President Volodymyr Zelensky and spent time with Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska.
In her meeting with President Zelensky and First Lady Zelenska, Sophie discussed how best to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who have a vital role to play in ensuring recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine are effective and lasting.
He also paid his respects to those who lost their lives in Bucha, two years after their liberation from Russian forces, and visited the ‘Road to Life’, a bridge that became a key part of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up. stop the advance of Russian troops towards kyiv and later became a vital route for people to flee to safety from Russian occupation.
Buckingham Palace last month issued a statement about the visit, saying: “HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh is visiting Ukraine at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children affected. by war. and in continuing her work to advocate for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
“His Royal Highness met with the President and First Lady of Ukraine this morning and delivered a message to them on behalf of His Majesty the King.”
Since 2022, the UK has pledged more than £4.7 billion in non-military support to Ukraine.
The Duchess of Edinburgh (second right) and the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris (right), visit the memorial to the victims of the Russian occupation in the town of Bucha on April 29, 2024.
Sophie meets children while visiting the family center of the NGO “Save Ukraine” in the city of Irpin on April 29, 2024 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Duchess of Edinburgh (left) and Olena Zelenska (right), wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, chat during their visit to Saint Sophia Cathedral in kyiv on April 29, 2024.
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska (left) and Britain’s Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (right) visiting Saint Sophia Cathedral in kyiv on April 29, 2024.
This includes more than £660 million of bilateral assistance that prioritizes the needs of women and girls, for example by funding vital services for survivors of gender-based violence, as well as working with the Attorney General’s Office to put survivors at the center of approaches to prosecuting conflict-related crimes of sexual violence.
The UK is also working with international partners to hold those responsible for atrocities to account.
Sophie announced her commitment to the UK Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda on International Women’s Day 2019.
He has since visited several countries, including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia, as part of his effort to champion the cause.
