EIGE joins other EU Agencies in supporting Ukrainian victims in most vulnerable situations

EIGE is closely following the European Commission’s response to support Ukraine, mainly in the areas of gender-based violence and gender mainstreaming, in view of offering support and solutions.

The Russian invasion in Ukraine has had a significantly gendered impact for women with children forced to flee the country. The security, migration, social and economic challenges that have come of the war have exacerbated existing gender equality issues, throwing up new challenges and a pressing need for solutions and protection.

Displaced women and children are experiencing stress, trauma and health implications (particularly for pregnant women) and are at a greater risk of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking with limited or no access to resources and services. Based on the crisis at hand, EIGE will be working on two main areas.

It is imperative that refugees know their sexual and reproductive rights in the EU and are able to locate specialised healthcare services to meet their needs.  With country-level information, EIGE is starting a project to map the available healthcare services in place across the EU Member States which target the victims of conflict-related sexual violence.

Within this scope, gaps and challenges will be addressed e.g. psychological counselling, ob-gyn care, emergency contraception and safe abortion.  A list will be compiled and communicated via the most appropriate channels to achieve the best and widest reach.

A primary focus will be on refugee women and girls arriving in the EU from Ukraine.

To understand and reflect on the human rights abuses experienced by women displaced from Ukraine, information on the ground needs to be collected. EIGE will support FRA in its project to gather data on women’s experiences in Ukraine, war territories, in transit and upon arrival in the EU. EIGE is assisting FRA in conducting a survey in four EU Member States, which host the largest number of war refugee women.

The survey will be launched at the end of 2022 and the data will be collected in 2023. EIGE will contribute to the implementation of this project as a member of the steering committee alongside other international and EU organisations, institutions and agencies.