Assessing the situation in the EU for Ukrainian women displaced by war

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• MPC: Migration Policy Centre
• Ukraine

One year after the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine, this conference assesses the situation of displaced Ukrainian women in the EU, discusses the opportunities and challenges they face and monitors changes in individual strategies and future plans.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has caused a significant change in Europe’s migration situation. The scale of migration from Ukraine is on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II. The current situation is also unique because of its gender dimension, almost 90% of those fleeing the war in Ukraine are women and children. And while Ukrainian women abroad daily demonstrate their resourcefulness by combining several roles simultaneously, such as professional work, caring for children and the elderly, volunteering and social activism, they also face many challenges including family separation, the lack of a circle of support in a new country, psychological trauma, a difficult economic situation, a frequent lack of language skills and a lack of vision for the future. All contribute to vulnerability and can make these women easy victims of exploitation, human trafficking, and gender-based violence. The event will also review the extent to which EU policies respond to the needs of migrant women and what can be changed in this regard.

For more information on the EUI activities related to the conflict in Ukraine, please visit our dedicated pages.

Read a statement by Ukrainian scholars at the EUI in solidarity with Ukraine.