# C_2022465EN.01015501.xml

| 6.12.2022 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 465/155 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

6.12.2022

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 465/155

---

P9_TA(2022)0206

The impact of the war against Ukraine on women

European Parliament resolution of 5 May 2022 on the impact of the war against Ukraine on women (2022/2633(RSP))

(2022/C 465/15)

The European Parliament,

| — | having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Articles 8, 10, 78 and 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Articles 8, 10, 78 and 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

| — | having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

| — | having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of 17 July 1998, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of 17 July 1998,

| — | having regard to the Geneva Conventions, especially Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Geneva Conventions, especially Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,

| — | having regard to the UN Declaration of 20 December 1993 on the Elimination of Violence against Women, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the UN Declaration of 20 December 1993 on the Elimination of Violence against Women,

| — | having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security of 31 October 2000 and its follow-up resolutions 1820 (19 June 2008); 1888 (30 September 2009); 1889 (5 October 2009); 1960 (16 December 2010); 2106 (24 June 2013); 2122 (18 October 2013); 2242 (13 October 2015); 2467 (23 April 2019) and 2493 (29 October 2019), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security of 31 October 2000 and its follow-up resolutions 1820 (19 June 2008); 1888 (30 September 2009); 1889 (5 October 2009); 1960 (16 December 2010); 2106 (24 June 2013); 2122 (18 October 2013); 2242 (13 October 2015); 2467 (23 April 2019) and 2493 (29 October 2019),

| — | having regard to the UN Convention of 30 August 1961 on the Reduction of Statelessness, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the UN Convention of 30 August 1961 on the Reduction of Statelessness,

| — | having regard to the 2018 UN Global Compact on Refugees, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the 2018 UN Global Compact on Refugees,

| — | having regard to General Recommendation No. 38 (2020) of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women of 6 November 2020 on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to General Recommendation No. 38 (2020) of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women of 6 November 2020 on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration,

| — | having regard to the Council of Europe Convention of 11 May 2011 on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Council of Europe Convention of 11 May 2011 on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),

| — | having regard to Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof (1) (Temporary Protection Directive), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof (1) (Temporary Protection Directive),

| — | having regard to Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection (2), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection (2),

| — | having regard to Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA (3), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA (3),

| — | having regard to the Commission communication of 14 April 2021 on the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025 (COM(2021)0171), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 14 April 2021 on the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings 2021-2025 (COM(2021)0171),

| — | having regard to the Commission communication of 23 March 2022 entitled ‘Welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine: Readying Europe to meet the needs’ (COM(2022)0131), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 23 March 2022 entitled ‘Welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine: Readying Europe to meet the needs’ (COM(2022)0131),

| — | having regard to the Commission proposal for a directive of 8 March 2022 on combating violence against women and domestic violence (COM(2022)0105), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the Commission proposal for a directive of 8 March 2022 on combating violence against women and domestic violence (COM(2022)0105),

| — | having regard to its resolution of 1 March 2022 on the Russian aggression against Ukraine (4), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to its resolution of 1 March 2022 on the Russian aggression against Ukraine (4),

| — | having regard to its resolution of 7 April 2022 on the EU’s protection of children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine (5), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to its resolution of 7 April 2022 on the EU’s protection of children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine (5),

| — | having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy (6), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy (6),

| — | having regard to the joint communication of the Commission and the High representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III — An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action’ (JOIN(2020)0017), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the joint communication of the Commission and the High representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III — An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action’ (JOIN(2020)0017),

| — | having regard to the question to the Commission on the impact of the war against Ukraine on women (O-000015/2022 — B9-0012/2022), |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the question to the Commission on the impact of the war against Ukraine on women (O-000015/2022 — B9-0012/2022),

| — | having regard to Rules 136(5) and 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to Rules 136(5) and 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

| — | having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, |
| --- | --- |

—

having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality,

| A. | whereas the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has forced a large number of people to flee the country; whereas since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 5 million refugees have fled from Ukraine to the EU (7); whereas an estimated 90 % of the refugees are women and children (8); |
| --- | --- |

A.

whereas the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has forced a large number of people to flee the country; whereas since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 5 million refugees have fled from Ukraine to the EU (7); whereas an estimated 90 % of the refugees are women and children (8);

| B. | whereas a further 7,1 million (9) people have been displaced internally within Ukraine, including women and children in need of medical and mental health care, employment possibilities, proper schooling for children and accommodation and protection against sexual and gender based violence; whereas 13,5 % of those newly displaced had prior experience with displacement during 2014-2015; whereas internal displacement is putting strain on the municipalities of Ukraine, whereas women in the regions viewed as transit regions are specifically affected; whereas proper support for the municipalities hosting internally displaced people needs to be established; |
| --- | --- |

B.

whereas a further 7,1 million (9) people have been displaced internally within Ukraine, including women and children in need of medical and mental health care, employment possibilities, proper schooling for children and accommodation and protection against sexual and gender based violence; whereas 13,5 % of those newly displaced had prior experience with displacement during 2014-2015; whereas internal displacement is putting strain on the municipalities of Ukraine, whereas women in the regions viewed as transit regions are specifically affected; whereas proper support for the municipalities hosting internally displaced people needs to be established;

| C. | whereas women often come to the EU with their children or the children of their extended family and friends; whereas approximately 2 300 unaccompanied minors have been registered so far; whereas reports from international organisations estimate higher numbers; whereas children from care institutions such as orphanages are not considered unaccompanied; whereas the latest reports indicate that about half a million Ukrainian civilians have been forcibly deported, including many women and children (10); whereas more than 2 300 children have been abducted and forcefully displaced to Russia; recalls that under the Geneva Convention ‘individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory [...] are prohibited’; |
| --- | --- |

C.

whereas women often come to the EU with their children or the children of their extended family and friends; whereas approximately 2 300 unaccompanied minors have been registered so far; whereas reports from international organisations estimate higher numbers; whereas children from care institutions such as orphanages are not considered unaccompanied; whereas the latest reports indicate that about half a million Ukrainian civilians have been forcibly deported, including many women and children (10); whereas more than 2 300 children have been abducted and forcefully displaced to Russia; recalls that under the Geneva Convention ‘individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory [...] are prohibited’;

| D. | whereas around 2,8 million people have fled to Poland, around 763 000 people have fled to Romania, 476 000 to Hungary and 346 000 to Slovakia; whereas a significant proportion of the refugees continue to travel to other Member States; whereas from Poland, around 1 million refugees have moved on to other Member States, with 1,5 million refugees remaining in Poland, making Poland the EU country with the highest proportion of refugees per capita; whereas the second country in this ranking is currently Austria, followed by the Czech Republic and then Estonia (11); whereas women without contacts in countries such as Poland are accommodated in public dormitories and sports halls; whereas there is a need to move beyond these temporary solutions and develop systemic solutions to ensure that women will not stay in public shelters facing poverty and further trauma; whereas there is an urgent need for safe accommodation for women, particularly pregnant women, elderly women and victims of sexual violence; |
| --- | --- |

D.

whereas around 2,8 million people have fled to Poland, around 763 000 people have fled to Romania, 476 000 to Hungary and 346 000 to Slovakia; whereas a significant proportion of the refugees continue to travel to other Member States; whereas from Poland, around 1 million refugees have moved on to other Member States, with 1,5 million refugees remaining in Poland, making Poland the EU country with the highest proportion of refugees per capita; whereas the second country in this ranking is currently Austria, followed by the Czech Republic and then Estonia (11); whereas women without contacts in countries such as Poland are accommodated in public dormitories and sports halls; whereas there is a need to move beyond these temporary solutions and develop systemic solutions to ensure that women will not stay in public shelters facing poverty and further trauma; whereas there is an urgent need for safe accommodation for women, particularly pregnant women, elderly women and victims of sexual violence;

| E. | whereas around 428 000 refugees have left Ukraine via Moldova; whereas there are still around 100 000 refugees staying in Moldova, putting severe strain on the country’s infrastructure and services; whereas in the context of the EU Solidarity Platform, seven EU Member States including Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as Norway, have pledged to welcome 14 500 people transiting Moldova so far; |
| --- | --- |

E.

whereas around 428 000 refugees have left Ukraine via Moldova; whereas there are still around 100 000 refugees staying in Moldova, putting severe strain on the country’s infrastructure and services; whereas in the context of the EU Solidarity Platform, seven EU Member States including Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as Norway, have pledged to welcome 14 500 people transiting Moldova so far;

| F. | whereas women and girls are particularly at risk during humanitarian and displacement crises, as they continue disproportionately to be the victims of discrimination based on gender norms and gender-based violence; whereas while the first arrivals of refugees fleeing Ukraine mostly had contacts within the EU, the majority of people arriving now do not have a contact point or support network in the EU; |
| --- | --- |

F.

whereas women and girls are particularly at risk during humanitarian and displacement crises, as they continue disproportionately to be the victims of discrimination based on gender norms and gender-based violence; whereas while the first arrivals of refugees fleeing Ukraine mostly had contacts within the EU, the majority of people arriving now do not have a contact point or support network in the EU;

| G. | whereas EU citizens, civil society and Member States reacted to the incoming refugees fleeing Ukraine with an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity; whereas for the first time the Council of the European Union triggered the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), providing beneficiaries, for at least one year with possibility of extension, with residence permits and access to employment, to suitable accommodation or housing, to social welfare or means of subsistence if necessary, to health and medical care, and, for minors, to education, as well as giving families the opportunity to reunite; |
| --- | --- |

G.

whereas EU citizens, civil society and Member States reacted to the incoming refugees fleeing Ukraine with an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity; whereas for the first time the Council of the European Union triggered the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), providing beneficiaries, for at least one year with possibility of extension, with residence permits and access to employment, to suitable accommodation or housing, to social welfare or means of subsistence if necessary, to health and medical care, and, for minors, to education, as well as giving families the opportunity to reunite;

| H. | whereas the application of the TPD has been rather uneven and at least eight Member States have chosen not to include people with long-term residence permits and other third country nationals in Ukraine in its scope; whereas recognised refugees in Ukraine and others with equivalent protection are often unable to travel within the EU as their travel documents are not recognised by some Member States; whereas this is very problematic for women facing their second displacement (12); |
| --- | --- |

H.

whereas the application of the TPD has been rather uneven and at least eight Member States have chosen not to include people with long-term residence permits and other third country nationals in Ukraine in its scope; whereas recognised refugees in Ukraine and others with equivalent protection are often unable to travel within the EU as their travel documents are not recognised by some Member States; whereas this is very problematic for women facing their second displacement (12);

| I. | whereas so far, most of the efforts to relieve the situation of refugees, most of them women, have been conducted by the NGOs operating on the ground, civil society and volunteers, but also local governments and authorities; whereas continuous support is needed to ensure good cooperation between grass roots and international level organisations, and whereas their coordination has been improving since the beginning of the conflict and flow of refugees; whereas local entities are performing an important part of the organisation in hosting countries; whereas Member States have a legal obligation to ensure protection of refugees under international and EU law, including the TPD, and thus need to step up their efforts to facilitate coordination on the ground and ensure better task distribution; |
| --- | --- |

I.

whereas so far, most of the efforts to relieve the situation of refugees, most of them women, have been conducted by the NGOs operating on the ground, civil society and volunteers, but also local governments and authorities; whereas continuous support is needed to ensure good cooperation between grass roots and international level organisations, and whereas their coordination has been improving since the beginning of the conflict and flow of refugees; whereas local entities are performing an important part of the organisation in hosting countries; whereas Member States have a legal obligation to ensure protection of refugees under international and EU law, including the TPD, and thus need to step up their efforts to facilitate coordination on the ground and ensure better task distribution;

| J. | whereas special attention should be paid to the situation of women refugees experiencing intersecting discrimination, such as Roma women, Black women, stateless women, women with disabilities, migrant women, racialised women and LGBTIQ+ people, including transgender women whose identity may not be recognised, especially in Poland and Hungary, where measures have been taken against LGBTIQ+ people; whereas special attention should also be paid to the racialised women of African descent and third country nationals at border crossings; whereas the discrimination and gender based violence these groups of women are experiencing at the borders is often unreported and not documented, meaning it remains invisible; |
| --- | --- |

J.

whereas special attention should be paid to the situation of women refugees experiencing intersecting discrimination, such as Roma women, Black women, stateless women, women with disabilities, migrant women, racialised women and LGBTIQ+ people, including transgender women whose identity may not be recognised, especially in Poland and Hungary, where measures have been taken against LGBTIQ+ people; whereas special attention should also be paid to the racialised women of African descent and third country nationals at border crossings; whereas the discrimination and gender based violence these groups of women are experiencing at the borders is often unreported and not documented, meaning it remains invisible;

| K. | whereas older women, especially those with no contact points in the EU, are often at risk of isolation without family or wider community ties; whereas they are particularly vulnerable owing to language barriers and lack of access to social and support services, including access to medicines and food; |
| --- | --- |

K.

whereas older women, especially those with no contact points in the EU, are often at risk of isolation without family or wider community ties; whereas they are particularly vulnerable owing to language barriers and lack of access to social and support services, including access to medicines and food;

| L. | whereas the war in Ukraine is impacting women, including those facing intersectional discrimination, in specific ways and is exacerbating pre-existing inequalities; whereas most households in Ukraine are now relying on women and are in precarious and highly vulnerable situations due to the ongoing severe shortages of food, water and energy supplies inside Ukraine; |
| --- | --- |

L.

whereas the war in Ukraine is impacting women, including those facing intersectional discrimination, in specific ways and is exacerbating pre-existing inequalities; whereas most households in Ukraine are now relying on women and are in precarious and highly vulnerable situations due to the ongoing severe shortages of food, water and energy supplies inside Ukraine;

| M. | whereas many women have stayed in Ukraine and mobilised for combat or to provide non-combat support; whereas women make up around 15 % of Ukraine’s military and there are currently around 300 000 women in the battlefield; whereas women soldiers have been captured in Ukraine; whereas there are indications that Ukrainian women soldiers in captivity have been tortured, humiliated and subjected to sexual violence; whereas reports of such mistreatment are alarming; whereas respecting the Geneva Convention provisions on the humane treatment of prisoners of war (Article 13) is of the utmost importance; whereas women also make up a second line of defence, providing non-combat support as well as vital logistics including assistance in the evacuation of civilians; whereas there are women that have been left behind in Ukraine, being either not allowed to leave the country, such as those working in critical infrastructures, or not willing or able to leave the country; |
| --- | --- |

M.

whereas many women have stayed in Ukraine and mobilised for combat or to provide non-combat support; whereas women make up around 15 % of Ukraine’s military and there are currently around 300 000 women in the battlefield; whereas women soldiers have been captured in Ukraine; whereas there are indications that Ukrainian women soldiers in captivity have been tortured, humiliated and subjected to sexual violence; whereas reports of such mistreatment are alarming; whereas respecting the Geneva Convention provisions on the humane treatment of prisoners of war (Article 13) is of the utmost importance; whereas women also make up a second line of defence, providing non-combat support as well as vital logistics including assistance in the evacuation of civilians; whereas there are women that have been left behind in Ukraine, being either not allowed to leave the country, such as those working in critical infrastructures, or not willing or able to leave the country;

| N. | whereas there is an increasing number of unofficial reports from survivors, but also intelligence reports, about sexual violence in the conflict; whereas there are growing reports that rape, sexual harassment, torture, mass executions and genocide are being increasingly used by the Russian army as weapons of war against the civilian population in Ukraine; |
| --- | --- |

N.

whereas there is an increasing number of unofficial reports from survivors, but also intelligence reports, about sexual violence in the conflict; whereas there are growing reports that rape, sexual harassment, torture, mass executions and genocide are being increasingly used by the Russian army as weapons of war against the civilian population in Ukraine;

| O. | whereas the use of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) as a weapon is a war crime and should thus be prosecuted according to the provisions of international law and the Rome Statute of the ICC, particularly Articles 7 and 8 thereof, which define rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy and forced sterilisation or any form of sexual violence as crimes against humanity and war crimes and equate them with torture and other serious war crimes, whether or not such acts are systematically perpetrated during international or internal conflicts, including those relating to sexual and other violence against women and girls; |
| --- | --- |

O.

whereas the use of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) as a weapon is a war crime and should thus be prosecuted according to the provisions of international law and the Rome Statute of the ICC, particularly Articles 7 and 8 thereof, which define rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy and forced sterilisation or any form of sexual violence as crimes against humanity and war crimes and equate them with torture and other serious war crimes, whether or not such acts are systematically perpetrated during international or internal conflicts, including those relating to sexual and other violence against women and girls;

| P. | whereas the actual track record in delivering justice at the ICC for victims of sexual violence remains low, and whereas there are cases of convictions in that area that have been overturned (judgment against Jean-Pierre Bemba from the Democratic Republic of the Congo); |
| --- | --- |

P.

whereas the actual track record in delivering justice at the ICC for victims of sexual violence remains low, and whereas there are cases of convictions in that area that have been overturned (judgment against Jean-Pierre Bemba from the Democratic Republic of the Congo);

| Q. | whereas the lack of availability and accessibility of appropriate gender-based violence services for refugees, including in reception centres, remains a significant concern; whereas it is vital that the response to this crisis includes gender based violence prevention and immediate response services; |
| --- | --- |

Q.

whereas the lack of availability and accessibility of appropriate gender-based violence services for refugees, including in reception centres, remains a significant concern; whereas it is vital that the response to this crisis includes gender based violence prevention and immediate response services;

| R. | whereas the massive displacement and refugee flow due to the war in Ukraine is leading to the conditions for a spike in human trafficking; whereas there are significant unofficial reports about the risks of trafficking in human beings with regard to refugees, particularly women and unaccompanied children, who have fallen into the hands of traffickers or are reported missing, with traffickers often abusing the vulnerable situation of refugees by posing as providers of transportation, be it by car on either side of the borders or at train or bus stations; |
| --- | --- |

R.

whereas the massive displacement and refugee flow due to the war in Ukraine is leading to the conditions for a spike in human trafficking; whereas there are significant unofficial reports about the risks of trafficking in human beings with regard to refugees, particularly women and unaccompanied children, who have fallen into the hands of traffickers or are reported missing, with traffickers often abusing the vulnerable situation of refugees by posing as providers of transportation, be it by car on either side of the borders or at train or bus stations;

| S. | whereas there are currently an estimated 80 000 women waiting to give birth in Ukraine; whereas the difficult situation on the ground is resulting in a lack of proper access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for the women still in the country; whereas access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is also becoming increasingly difficult for the refugees arriving in the EU; |
| --- | --- |

S.

whereas there are currently an estimated 80 000 women waiting to give birth in Ukraine; whereas the difficult situation on the ground is resulting in a lack of proper access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for the women still in the country; whereas access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is also becoming increasingly difficult for the refugees arriving in the EU;

| T. | whereas women require access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services including contraception, emergency contraception, legal and safe abortion care, antenatal care and skilled assistance during childbirth; whereas access to emergency contraception is severely hampered by barriers in Poland and Hungary, due to prescription requirements; whereas in the case of Poland, Romania and Slovakia there are economic barriers in accessing such fundamental sexual and reproductive health and rights services as they are not covered by public health insurance or subsidy schemes, resulting in significant cost barriers as refugees have to pay the full cost out of pocket or seek help from local civil society organisations to cover the costs for them; whereas in Poland, a near-total abortion ban is in force; |
| --- | --- |

T.

whereas women require access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services including contraception, emergency contraception, legal and safe abortion care, antenatal care and skilled assistance during childbirth; whereas access to emergency contraception is severely hampered by barriers in Poland and Hungary, due to prescription requirements; whereas in the case of Poland, Romania and Slovakia there are economic barriers in accessing such fundamental sexual and reproductive health and rights services as they are not covered by public health insurance or subsidy schemes, resulting in significant cost barriers as refugees have to pay the full cost out of pocket or seek help from local civil society organisations to cover the costs for them; whereas in Poland, a near-total abortion ban is in force;

| U. | whereas advocates and NGOs receive hundreds of calls from pregnant women fleeing Ukraine who are not able to terminate their pregnancy due to the de facto abortion ban in Poland; whereas medical abortion in early pregnancy is not legal in Slovakia and is not available in Hungary; whereas as a lot of women have been raped during the conflict by the Russian aggressors, access to emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis and safe and legal abortion services in Ukraine and in host and transit countries is crucial; whereas all host countries including Poland must fulfil their obligation, including under national law, to guarantee access to abortion care for women who became pregnant as a result of rape; whereas SRHR services are essential healthcare services and Member States should ensure access to them by all, including access to safe and legal abortion care and services in all circumstances; |
| --- | --- |

U.

whereas advocates and NGOs receive hundreds of calls from pregnant women fleeing Ukraine who are not able to terminate their pregnancy due to the de facto abortion ban in Poland; whereas medical abortion in early pregnancy is not legal in Slovakia and is not available in Hungary; whereas as a lot of women have been raped during the conflict by the Russian aggressors, access to emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis and safe and legal abortion services in Ukraine and in host and transit countries is crucial; whereas all host countries including Poland must fulfil their obligation, including under national law, to guarantee access to abortion care for women who became pregnant as a result of rape; whereas SRHR services are essential healthcare services and Member States should ensure access to them by all, including access to safe and legal abortion care and services in all circumstances;

| V. | whereas Ukrainian legislation allows surrogacy and Ukraine accounts for over a quarter of the world’s commercial surrogacy market and an estimated 2 000 to 2 500 babies are born through surrogacy each year in the country; whereas, due to the war, surrogate mothers are facing great difficulties in continuing their pregnancy in conditions conducive to their well-being, as well as in accessing health services during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium; whereas some surrogacy agencies have asked surrogate mothers not to flee Ukraine before the birth; whereas new-born children are particularly vulnerable, and the war makes it difficult for intended parents to assume parental authority and for public institutions to assume their guardianship and care in adequate conditions, when needed; |
| --- | --- |

V.

whereas Ukrainian legislation allows surrogacy and Ukraine accounts for over a quarter of the world’s commercial surrogacy market and an estimated 2 000 to 2 500 babies are born through surrogacy each year in the country; whereas, due to the war, surrogate mothers are facing great difficulties in continuing their pregnancy in conditions conducive to their well-being, as well as in accessing health services during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium; whereas some surrogacy agencies have asked surrogate mothers not to flee Ukraine before the birth; whereas new-born children are particularly vulnerable, and the war makes it difficult for intended parents to assume parental authority and for public institutions to assume their guardianship and care in adequate conditions, when needed;

| 1. | Restates its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of the Russian Federation’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against and invasion of Ukraine and condemns any war crimes being committed against the civilian population, including women and girls in all their diversity; |
| --- | --- |

1.

| 2. | Reiterates its calls for the EU institutions to work towards swiftly granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, in line with Article 49 TEU and on the basis of merit, and, in the meantime, to continue to work towards the integration of Ukraine into the EU single market along the lines of the Association Agreement in order to adequately protect Ukrainian women and girls; |
| --- | --- |

2.

| 3. | Praises the solidarity shown by EU citizens, civil society, Member States and the EU itself towards Ukraine and people fleeing Ukraine; points out that since the beginning of the war, efforts to relieve the situation of women refugees fleeing Ukraine have been made via the civil society organisations operating on the ground, in particular local women’s organisations, as well as volunteers, local authorities, and local and national governments, particularly those of the neighbouring Member States and countries, as well as international organisations; |
| --- | --- |

3.

| 4. | Stresses that any kind of discrimination, including on the basis on nationality, residence status, belief or religion, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, genetic features, disability or language is unacceptable and must be actively prevented; |
| --- | --- |

4.

| 5. | Asks the Commission to ensure correct and full implementation of the TPD across all 27 Member States and to make sure that women refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine fully benefit from the rights enshrined therein, especially regarding health services, maternity, childcare and access to the labour market; considers that the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, according to its updated mandate, should have the role of monitoring the application of this directive in the Member States bordering Ukraine; calls for smooth and even implementation to ensure the even application of the TPD for third country nationals with a long-term residence permit and other groups of third country nationals fleeing the war in Ukraine; |
| --- | --- |

5.

| 6. | Strongly condemns the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war and stresses that this constitutes a war crime, as well as sexual and gender based violence in the transit centres within Ukraine and across EU; expresses its concern about the growing number of reports of human trafficking, sexual violence, exploitation, rape and abuse faced by women and children fleeing Ukraine and arriving in Europe; calls on EU countries to address the specific needs of women and girls in reception centres and to ensure that gender based violence services and referral pathways and complaints mechanisms are immediately available within communities in languages and formats accessible to all groups; calls on the EU and host and transit countries to guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services, particularly emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis and abortion care, including for survivors of rape; calls for the EU and its Member States to support local, national and international organisations providing services and shelter to gender-based violence survivors among refugee women and girls; |
| --- | --- |

6.

| 7. | Welcomes the inclusion of women fleeing armed conflict and the request for the provision of specific support in the Commission’s proposal for a directive on gender based violence; notes that the displacement and refugee flow from the war in Ukraine is largely gendered; calls on the EU to adopt a gender-sensitive response to the crisis and to prioritise protection from sexual and gender-based violence and access for all refugees fleeing Ukraine, including those still in the country, to essential sexual and reproductive health services; |
| --- | --- |

7.

| 8. | Highlights the need for specialised support for women and girls who are survivors of violence or who have witnessed violence and sexual abuse and calls on the Member States to set up such support programmes with adequate psychological and mental health support and counselling to overcome their traumatic experience; emphasises the need for proper reporting and documentation mechanisms to be set up within Ukraine and the EU, including for coordinating the collection of the testimonies of victims, in order to bring the cases for prosecution to the ICC and hold the perpetrators accountable; calls on the EU to support these efforts through funds and with expertise and logistics; stresses the importance of setting up a platform to record cases of war-related sexual and gender-based violence also in order to ensure adequate conditions for this, such as specialised interpreters; |
| --- | --- |

8.

| 9. | Expresses its strong condemnation of and concern for the deportation, transportation and relocation of Ukrainian women and their children to Russia, as has been widely reported in the media and by human rights groups; stresses that this is in contravention of the Geneva Conventions; insists that all Ukrainian citizens who were forcibly deported to Russia be immediately returned to Ukraine; |
| --- | --- |

9.

| 10. | Expresses its concern for the welfare and whereabouts of those imprisoned by Russian forces, in particular women prisoners, given their unique exposure to particular types of gender-based violence; therefore calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross to take responsibility for identifying the whereabouts of women prisoners and ensuring their fair and humane treatment; |
| --- | --- |

10.

| 11. | Underlines that women and girls need continued access to sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS) throughout conflict and displacement, including access to safe delivery, family planning services, legal and safe abortion or clinical management of rape; calls for funding to be made available for the provision of essential and lifesaving SRHS in line with the UN Minimum Initial Service Package; welcomes the Commission’s proposal to provide triage hubs in the host countries to offer refugees urgent healthcare and arrange for their immediate transfer to other EU Member States; highlights that these triage hubs need to identify time-sensitive needs for SRHS, such as emergency contraception, legal and safe abortion care and emergency obstetric care as well as experts on sexual and gender-based violence; calls on the Commission and the Member States to use additional measures, EU funds and mechanisms to respond to the sexual and gender based violence protection and SRHR needs of Ukrainians, in particular by requesting the inclusion of sexual and reproductive health commodities in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and by sending dignity health kits, including contraceptives and sexual reproductive health kits in humanitarian packages and convoys to Ukraine and to the neighbouring transit or refugee host countries, particularly where necessary to overcome national restrictions on SRHR; |
| --- | --- |

11.

| 12. | Stresses that human trafficking for sexual exploitation and other purposes remains one of the biggest risks for women and children fleeing Ukraine who are in a particularly vulnerable situation; notes that even before the war, Ukrainian women were among the most common victims of human trafficking to the EU; urges the Member States to guarantee safety and freedom from sexual exploitation for refugee women and girls, including by providing safe and coordinated transportation between Member States; urges the Member States and the EU to swiftly identify and prosecute the trafficking networks profiting from the sexual exploitation of refugee women and girls; reiterates that prostitution feeds the trafficking of vulnerable women; encourages the EU to support Ukraine in investing in anti-trafficking awareness raising and prevention measures on the Ukrainian side, for example by disseminating information about these risks; stresses that surrogate mothers are in a situation of particular vulnerability and precariousness; strongly insists that the primary interest at stake is the life of the women and that they should not be prevented from leaving Ukraine if they wish to do so; recalls that sexual exploitation for surrogacy and reproduction is unacceptable and a violation of human dignity and human rights; |
| --- | --- |

12.

| 13. | Condemns the practice of surrogacy, which can expose women around the world to exploitation, in particular those who are poorer and are in situations of vulnerability, such as in the context of war; asks the EU and its Member States to pay particular attention to the protection of surrogate mothers during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium and to respect all of their rights, as well as those of the newborns; |
| --- | --- |

13.

| 14. | Underlines the serious impact of surrogacy on women, their rights and their health, the negative consequences for gender equality and the challenges stemming from the cross-border implications of this practice, as has been the case for the women and children affected by the war against Ukraine; asks the EU and its Member States to investigate the dimensions of this industry, the socio-economic context and the situation of pregnant women, as well as the consequences for their physical and mental health and for the well-being of babies; calls for the introduction of binding measures to address surrogacy, protecting women’s and newborns’ rights; |
| --- | --- |

14.

| 15. | Welcomes the activation by the Commission of cooperation within the network of national rapporteurs on trafficking in human beings and, in this regard, the activation of police cooperation on anti-trafficking, including on the EMPACT platform, and the deployment of Europol teams to the countries bordering Ukraine; calls for these efforts to be supported with sufficient financial resources at EU level; |
| --- | --- |

15.

| 16. | Welcomes the common 10-point plan presented to interior ministers on 28 March 2022 encompassing the Commission’s plan for stronger European coordination on welcoming people fleeing the war against Ukraine; notes that under the 10-point plan, standard operation procedures and guidelines for the reception and support of children and the transfer of unaccompanied minors are proposed; welcomes the development within the 10-point plan of a common anti-trafficking plan based on the EU strategy on combatting trafficking in human beings (2021-2025), under the lead of the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator; asks for its swift adoption; calls for additional investment in anti-trafficking measures in Ukraine, such as an EU-wide helpline number specifically for refugee victims or those at risk of human trafficking or sexual and gender-based violence, free of charge and monitored in Ukrainian; |
| --- | --- |

16.

| 17. | Calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve coordination at border crossings and reception facilities, ensure accurate registration of refugees and their access to the necessary documentation; welcomes the registration programme for volunteers helping refugees, in order to keep track of persons providing help; calls on the Commission to further enhance efforts in terms of prevention and tackling crimes that refugee women might face, such as human trafficking, sexual and gender based violence, exploitation and abuse; stresses that human trafficking of all kinds, in particular for the purpose of sexual exploitation by pimps, brothel owners, and buyers of sexual services, but also for other purposes, is one of the biggest risks for the refugee women and children fleeing Ukraine; calls on Member States’ police forces and Europol to monitor and conduct awareness campaigns in transit points used by traffickers, such as train and bus stations, petrol stations, motorways or airports, through which they can smuggle their victims, as well as refugee reception centres where victims can be targeted; |
| --- | --- |

17.

| 18. | Encourages the Member States to make use of assistance offered by EU agencies with regard to hosting women refugees; emphasises the need for an EU-wide registration platform for people applying for temporary protection, as proposed by the Commission, which is especially needed to support tracing and reunification efforts of unaccompanied minors, but also with regard to those at risk of trafficking, such as women and girls; |
| --- | --- |

18.

| 19. | Calls on the Commission to swiftly prepare and roll out uniform guidance for the reception and support of children, especially young girls as well as elderly women including during procedures for transferring unaccompanied children, providing interim alternative care and reuniting children with family members; |
| --- | --- |

19.

| 20. | Stresses that the hosting Member States provide support to the millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine, particularly women and children, impacting on their social, healthcare, childcare and education services; calls, therefore, on the Commission to conduct a detailed analysis of the needs and to adapt existing policies, including financial instruments such as structural funds, keeping a gender-sensitive approach; calls on the Commission to support the Member States as much as possible in this task, paying special attention to women and young girls; commends the efforts of the Member States towards sharing responsibility through the Solidarity Platform and encourages further enhancement of this cooperation; |
| --- | --- |

20.

| 21. | Notes that it is essential for women refugees to gain access to livelihoods including the ability to work and earn income as soon as possible; calls for special programmes and language courses, as well as universal access to childcare, to facilitate integration into the EU labour market; |
| --- | --- |

21.

| 22. | Stresses that the needs of women experiencing intersectional discrimination due to their racial or ethnic background, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, including those having experienced sexual violence, are taken into account, notably by providing safe and appropriate reception or care arrangements and ensuring that there is no discrimination at border crossing points; underlines the need to collect and analyse disaggregated data by gender, age, disability, nationality and point of destination (if known) with a view to supporting short- and long-term planning of appropriate services and facilities; calls on the Commission to ensure that Roma women fleeing Ukraine are not being discriminated against and are able to move within the EU; calls on Member States to guarantee of their protection in the implementation of the TPD; |
| --- | --- |

22.

| 23. | Welcomes the EU funding provided for refugees fleeing Ukraine, including via the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) programme, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (CARE), which would allow EU countries and regions to provide emergency support to people fleeing from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; asks for these funds to be gender-sensitive; insists that this Parliament should supervise how the funds are spent, particularly in countries with ongoing rule of law violations such as Poland and Hungary; reiterates that the principle of gender mainstreaming and gender budgeting is a core principle of the EU; |
| --- | --- |

23.

| 24. | Points out that that civil society organisations need greater direct financial and material support from the EU and its Member States to facilitate coordination on the ground and to ensure a better distribution of the various responsibilities; calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve the coordination of humanitarian assistance in cooperation with civil society and international organisations, including UNHCR, UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organization and other UN agencies, as well as the International Organization for Migration and International Committee of the Red Cross, and to ensure immediate and direct access to funding for civil society organisations providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees, in particular to gender equality, SRHR and women’s rights organisations and women human rights defenders, in all transit and refugee hosting Member States, and particularly in countries that impose restrictions on SRHR; urges the Commission and the Member States to involve civil society organisations and to consult them and local authorities on the availability of the funding and the way it is spent and allocated; |
| --- | --- |

24.

| 25. | Calls on the EU institutions and the Member States to closely consult with organisations fighting for the rights of women, girls and marginalised groups, especially on the ground, but also when making policy decisions related to this war; calls for particular support for and protection of women human rights defenders who are still active in Ukraine; |
| --- | --- |

25.

| 26. | Stresses the tremendous work done by NGOs and activist groups to aid women with access to SRHR and the fact that their members are putting their own freedom on the line, such as Justyna Wydrzyńska, who has been charged under Poland’s draconian anti-abortion law for having provided medical abortion pills to another woman; calls on the Commission to protect and support these women human rights defenders against any persecution they might face; |
| --- | --- |

26.

| 27. | Highlights the specific difficulty faced by LGBTIQ+ families when crossing borders; stresses that children of same-sex couples risk being separated from one or both parents; invites Member States to take account of de facto partnerships and families in the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive; |
| --- | --- |

27.

| 28. | Recalls the difficult situation of and obstacles to transgender persons including trans women or transgender and intersex women with the male gender marker in their passports, who are prevented from fleeing Ukraine; recalls that transgender people whose identity documents do not correspond with their identity cannot pass through internal checkpoints and may be excluded from civil protection measures; points out that reception camps set up for them by volunteers and civil society lack the capacity to house everyone; stresses that transgender persons have difficulties to access hormonal treatments; recalls that such treatments and other specific medicines for transgender and intersex people are classified as essential by the WHO and thus should be included in humanitarian aid packages; calls on the Commission, therefore, for EU financial support and coordination help in this regard; calls on the EU to ask Ukraine to simplify the procedures to allow these women to flee Ukraine; calls on EU Member States to provide appropriate medicines and medication after these women have crossed the border; |
| --- | --- |

28.

| 29. | Considers that proper support for the municipalities in Ukraine hosting internally displaced people needs to be established in order to allow the internally displaced to stay in their country before the situation allows for their return home; welcomes the efforts of the Commission with regard to the needs of internally displaced women and girls; |
| --- | --- |

29.

| 30. | Recalls UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and all its subsequent resolutions and calls for their implementation; insists on the inclusion of women in all their diversity and marginalised groups in conflict prevention, resolution, mediation, and peace negotiations, across all tracks and calls therefore on the EU institutions to set up a task force in which women and civil society on the ground are included; calls for the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) to provide assistance in the form of training funds for women and NGOs in Ukraine in order to enable them to participate in conflict resolution and post-conflict rebuilding efforts; calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to pay specific attention to gender equality in their efforts to end this war; |
| --- | --- |

30.

| 31. | Highlights the difficult situation faced by Moldova with regard to its strained infrastructure and services; welcomes the relocation pledges under the Solidarity Platform to help Moldova in its efforts to host refugees fleeing Ukraine; calls on the Member States and the Commission to continue their efforts to further assist Moldova by sharing responsibility and providing specific assistance to meet the needs of refugee women and girls; |
| --- | --- |

31.

| 32. | Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the President, Government and Parliament of Ukraine. |
| --- | --- |

32.

---

(1)  OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p. 12.

(2)  OJ L 71, 4.3.2022, p. 1.

(3)  OJ L 101, 15.4.2011, p. 1.

(4)  Texts adopted, P9_TA(2022)0052.

(5)  Texts adopted, P9_TA(2022)0120.

(6)  OJ C 404, 6.10.2021, p. 202.

(7)  https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine

(8)  https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/ukraine/

(9)  https://www.iom.int/news/71-million-people-displaced-war-ukraine-iom-survey

(10)  https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/moscow-has-deported-500000-people-russia-ukraine-lawmaker-says-2022-04-20/

(11)  https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine#:~:text=Share%20this%20page%3A-,Ukraine%20Situation%3A%20Moldova%20Refugee%20Border%20Monitoring,(14%2D03%2D2022)&text=Almost%20three%20million%20refugees%20have,displaced%20to%20Moldova%20(UNHCR)

(12)  https://ecre.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Information-Sheet-%E2%80%93-Access-to-territory-asylum-procedures-and-reception-conditions-for-Ukrainian-nationals-in-European-countries.pdf

---