A documentary that amplifies the voices of Ukrainian survivors of conflict-related sexual violence resulting from Russian aggression — voices that refuse to remain silent.
Join the global call to end sexual violence as a weapon of war and become our partner in the impact campaign for TRACES.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko, co-directed by Marysia Nikitiuk, with support from the Mukwege Foundation
Through the journey of Iryna Dovgan, a former captive turned activist, the film documents survivor testimonies gathered in the formerly occupied territories of Ukraine. As Iryna brings women together to speak, listen, and support one another, TRACES weaves a collective portrait of trauma, while creating space for resistance, solidarity and hope.
The women featured in the film come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds. Iryna Dovgan is a former economist and beauty salon owner; Olha Cherniak is a civil servant in a district administration; Tetiana Vasylenko and Galyna Tyshchenko are entrepreneurs; Nina is a farmer; and Liudmyla Mefodivna Mlymrykova is a former Ukrainian language and literature teacher whose school was bombed.
Director Alisa Kovalenko is herself a survivor of conflict-related sexual violence during captivity in Donbas. Her personal experience, combined with her human rights activism, drives her work on this powerful documentary.
There is still stigma, shame and fear surrounding this topic in society, and this is the wall we want to break down. And my personal story is also indicative of how difficult it was to speak, to comprehend, and how I found such important support among the same women, how I found a way out for myself. Alisa Kovalenko
THE IMPACT
“The film does not simply break the global ‘silence’; it breaks it so loudly that I hope it will leave a clear and lasting echo around the world.” – Iryna Dovgan
After surviving captivity in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Iryna Dovgan initiated the first gathering of women survivors. A few years later, with support from the Mukwege Foundation and the EUCCI, she founded Ukraine’s first survivor-led organisation, SEMA Ukraine and joined the SEMA — the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence. In 2025, inspired by the Mukwege Foundation’s Red Line Initiative, SEMA Ukraine, together with other national Ukrainian survivor networks, released the Ukrainian Call to Action, calling on all actors to work alongside survivors and address their urgent demands.
Director Alisa Kovalenko later joined SEMA Ukraine and became an active member of SEMA, the Global Network. Her film TRACES is an effective advocacy tool and a reflection of the strength and leadership of SEMA Ukraine.
Over the past three years, the Mukwege Foundation has supported the film’s development as part of its commitment to amplify survivors’ voices, access to care and survivor-led justice and accountability.
Sexual violence as a weapon of war is uniquely destructive.
Fear & Stigma
Stigma stops many survivors from speaking out. By supporting the impact campaign for TRACES, SEMA Ukraine will organise screenings in Ukraine and internationally to challenge isolation and end stigma around conflict-related sexual violence.
Broken communities
As a weapon of war, sexual violence is used to demoralise a community and destroy its resilience. With your support, SEMA Ukraine will host a series of community screenings, accompanied by public discussions and educational sessions. This is crucial in helping survivors recover and access the care, protection and justice they deserve.
Lack of accountability
For a long time, authorities have failed to hold perpetrators to account. By supporting the impact campaign for TRACES, you help SEMA Ukraine spark dialogue with survivors, policymakers, human rights actors and civil society to drive accountability and justice, including efforts to hold Russia responsible for conflict-related sexual violence.
Ignored survivor needs
Survivors face not only isolation, but also a lack of survivor-centred care and justice. With your support, SEMA Ukraine will collaborate with national and international partners to develop and promote survivor-centred transitional justice approaches in Ukraine, prioritising reparations, truth-seeking, and long-term human-centred reforms.
Traces is a documentary directed by Alisa Kovalenko, co-directed by Marysia Nikitiuk, produced by 2BraveProductions and Message Film, in association with Arte France, and in association with SEMA Ukraine and the Mukwege Foundation.
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