KYIV, November 12, 2026 — Four years after Russia’s all-out invasion, millions of Ukrainian women and children continue to bear a disproportionate burden of the war, facing heightened risks of gender-based violence, displacement, and psychological trauma. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk argues that existing international frameworks are insufficient and is championing specialized legal mechanisms to secure accountability for these crimes.
The Human Cost on the Home Front
According to the statement by Matviichuk published by IPS News, the war has aggravated systemic inequalities faced by women and girls, making them more vulnerable to gender-based violence, poverty, internal displacement, and psychological distress. Women-led non-governmental organizations providing vital services — ranging from psychosocial help to violence prevention — face serious funding difficulties amid increased needs. Matviichuk describes the conflict as a clash between two opposing systems: democracy and authoritarianism. She frames the struggle in generational terms, stating the fight is to ensure their daughters never have to prove they are human beings with full rights and freedoms.
The record shows that children have lost all sense of stability and security, displaced and separated from families, their education interrupted by air raid sirens and the destruction of infrastructure. Matviichuk warns that prolonged exposure to such conditions traps a person in the past, depriving them of any future.
Background: The Lawyer and the Centre
Oleksandra Viacheslavivna Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil society leader based in Kyiv. She heads the Centre for Civil Liberties, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Her career spans documentation of war crimes in Donbas following the Revolution of Dignity, coordination of the Euromaidan SOS initiative, and service as Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights from 2022 to 2025. She was Ukraine’s first female candidate for the United Nations Committee against Torture in 2021, running on a platform to limit violence against women in conflict.
Pursuing Accountability Beyond Current Frameworks
Matviichuk’s push for accountability operates on multiple tracks. She serves as a panel commissioner evaluating systematic crimes alongside international figures, including former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, at a community-based Truth Commission convening in Berlin from November 16 to 18. The commission, chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, will hear testimony from 30 Ezidi victim-survivors of the ISIS genocide in Iraq and Syria. The statement from the commission organizers says it seeks to generate pressure on governments to pursue domestic legislation, universal jurisdiction prosecutions, and possibly the establishment of a dedicated international tribunal to address the lack of action to prosecute genocide. Matviichuk’s participation signals a focus on adapting these mechanisms — truth commissions, universal jurisdiction, and specialized tribunals — for the Ukrainian context.
Mobilizing International Solidarity
Beyond the courtroom, Matviichuk is scheduled to appear as a guest speaker at the Songs of Freedom international benefit concert at Manchester’s Co-op Live on February 3, 2027. Officials confirmed the event aims to raise vital aid for women, children, and vulnerable communities impacted by the war. The concert features a lineup including Bob Geldof, Paul McCartney, and Ukrainian artists Boombox and Schmalgauzen, with proceeds directed to verified organizations such as UNITED24, Voices of Children, and the Masha Foundation’s ‘Unbreakable Mom’ programme. Matviichuk will share the stage with Alastair Campbell, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová, and historian Olesya Khromeychuk.
International Advocacy Record
Matviichuk’s advocacy extends to other authoritarian contexts. She was among the signatories of a joint letter by nine Nobel Peace Prize laureates supporting the “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign in Iran, which has entered its 145th consecutive week across 66 prisons. The campaign has drawn support from UN special rapporteurs, the European Parliament, and governments including Canada, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. This pattern of engagement underscores her argument that the legal mechanisms required to protect Ukrainian women and children are part of a broader struggle to enforce international law against systemic violations.
Sources
- ‘The War Must Stop’: Nobel Peace Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk on the Urgent Need to Protect Ukraine’s Women and Children
- Oleksandra Matviichuk
- The Moshville Times – Star-studded Songs of Freedom charity concert announced for Manchester’s Co-op Live in aid of Ukraine
- BOB GELDOF, PAUL McCARTNEY AND MUSIC LEGENDS UNITE FOR UKRAINE AT SONGS OF FREEDOM CONCERT |
- Iran’s “No to Executions Tuesdays” Campaign Turns Prison Resistance Into an International Challenge to the Regime – Iran News Update
- Ezidi victim-survivors of ISIS genocide in Iraq, Syria to share stories before truth commission – Peoples Gazette Nigeria
Photo: European Parliament (CC BY 2.0)
