Gender Equality

The Situation of Refugee Women in The Context of The Migration Crisis in Europe

11 July 2016. From 19:00 | Conference | Spanish | IEMed, Barcelona

In the framework of the cycle “The Mediterranean of refugees” this conference aims to address the specific problems of women in the context of the migration crisis in Europe. The conference is organised in the context of the debate and vote that took place in the European Parliament on 8 March 2016 on a Report about the situation of refugee women and asylum seekers in the EU.

It should be noted that there is a large gender gap between asylum seekers in the EU. In this sense, of the 900,000 people who crossed the Mediterranean from the beginning of 2015 until November, 38% were women and children. In addition, UNHCR recently reported that in January 2016, 55% of people arriving in Greece to seek asylum in the EU were women and children, not to mention those who lost their lives trying.

What specific needs, different from those of men, do refugee women and children have? How can the gender perspective be taken into account and addressed to each individual situation in the implementation of all asylum policies and procedures, including the assessment of asylum applications? How can the integration process and the rights of women and children be reconciled with the dependence of their legal status on their spouses? How do they deal with threats to their personal safety (long and dangerous journeys into exile, with official indifference, and often with sexual abuse and violence), if they also have to ensure physical security, well-being and the survival of their families?