The Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec (2022)17 calls on all member states to further enhance and strengthen the protection of rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls. The provisions of this Recommendation are particularly relevant to Ukraine in view of the Russian war of aggression. In October 2023 the International Organisation for Migration estimated that 3.7 million people were internally displaced within Ukraine, where 57% of those displaced were women and girls.
To support the implementation of this Recommendation, the Council of Europe has developed a new practical “Guide to the implementation of the Council of Europe Recommendation on Protecting the rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women and Girls”. This Guide promotes an inclusive approach to ensure all migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls are protected from acts of violence, exploitation and abuse and perpetrators brought to justice. It also aims to equip everyone involved in policy making, such as civil servants, legal professionals, academics, civil society organisations and human rights agencies with knowledge of equal access to information and justice, protection and support, data collection, research and monitoring, arrival, residence and integration of returnees.
This Guide was presented at an online roundtable on 24 May 2024, gathering 24 representatives from the Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Social Service of Ukraine, civil society organisations and legal professionals.
The development of the Guide and translation of the Recommendation and the Roundtable were organised as part of the Council of Europe project “Combating Violence against Women in Ukraine – Phase II” (COVAW-II).
See more:
- Publication. Guide to the implementation of the Council of Europe Recommendation on Protecting the rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women and Girls, April 2024. Also available in Ukrainian
- Recommendation. Council of Europe Recommendation on Protecting the Rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-seeking Women and Girls CMR/Rec (2022)17 in English
Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and Slovak. (Polish translation forthcoming)
- Webpage. Combating Violence against Women in Ukraine – Phase II (COVAW-II)
To further support Ukraine’s efforts in implementation of the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe has published a key resource, “After ratification: Promising practices to advance implementation of the Istanbul Convention”. In the publication, the Council of Europe examines the experiences of 36 countries implementing the convention in order to identify common challenges and areas of promising practice.
The publication provides promising practices in implementation of the convention, including those regarding migrant, refugee and asylum seeking women:
- Finland significantly increased public funding for shelters from 2015-2019, expanding shelter capacity. NGOs operate most shelters with an inclusive approach benefiting migrant women with irregular status.
- Sweden launched an online portal providing information on sexuality, family, marriage, and violence in six languages for young migrants. Sweden's police "Come to us" campaign disseminated information in 18 languages encouraging reporting of crimes like domestic violence and forced marriage.
- In Georgia, the state-funded Legal Aid Service offers free legal assistance to victims of violence against women, including internally displaced women, asylum seekers, and those seeking international protection. Displaced and asylum-seeking women can receive legal consultation, document preparation, and administrative court representation regardless of their financial situation.
The publication “After ratification: Promising practices to advance implementation of the Istanbul Convention” has been developed under the Council of Europe project “Combating violence against women in Ukraine – Phase II” (COVAW-II) for Ukrainian institutions and non-governmental organisations involved in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, and will be useful for policy makers, as well as professionals working in the field of violence against women and domestic violence in all European states.
See more:
- Article: Istanbul Convention at 13: Promising Practices to End Violence Against Women
- Publication. “After ratification: Promising practices to advance implementation of the Istanbul Convention”
- Standard. The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence ( “the Istanbul Convention”)
- Awareness Raising brochures and publications on the Istanbul Convention are available in the library of the project webpage “Combating Violence against Women in Ukraine – Phase II” (COVAW-II)
