Women fleeing the war in Ukraine face abuse, harassment and exploitation, FRA survey finds

Some 2.5 million women and girls have fled the war in Ukraine since February 2022 and have been granted temporary protection in the EU, including access to residence and employment.

The report 'Seeking Safety from War - Violence and rights abuses against women from Ukraine' examines the experiences of women, the risks they faced in fleeing the war and their lives in the EU. The findings reveal the trauma they face:

• Abuse by Russian forces: 10% of the women FRA interviewed were interrogated by Russian forces. Of these, 51% were physically humiliated and 29% sexually humiliated.
• Widespread violence against women: 25% of women from Ukraine have experienced physical or sexual violence since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. 54% were physically or verbally attacked in the EU when speaking Ukrainian publicly. This has left most respondents feeling anxious, vulnerable or less self-confident.
• High levels of sexual harassment: 51% of women were sexually harassed since the war began and 23% were sexually harassed online. Very few women reported incidents, either to organisations supporting people from Ukraine (3%) or to victim support services (3%).
• Risk of exploitation: 24% of women encountered potentially exploitative offers of transport, housing or work. Among working women, 36% worked without a contract and 24% were either underpaid or not paid at all.
• Lack of support: 10% of respondents did not feel safe in their accommodation, 79% struggled to make ends meet and 27% had no access to mental health services to overcome the trauma of war, despite their rights to work, housing, and receive social support.
• Low levels of reporting to the police: only 13% reported the most serious incident of violence in the EU to the police. Member States should encourage victims to report crimes and enable them to report incidents, including through third parties. This includes international crimes committed outside the EU.

The report suggests what EU Member States should do for victims of armed conflict:

• Ensure women fleeing the war in Ukraine receive full protection from gender-based violence, even when the temporary protection comes to an end.
• Provide comprehensive assistance that minimises safety risks and ensure police and public services respond appropriately to encourage reporting.
• Train police and health professionals to identify and investigate incidents properly and to reach out proactively to victims and equip support services to address the diverse traumas linked to war.
• Strengthen criminal laws so that all forms of violence against women are prosecuted. Laws and policies should also cover cyber harassment, with cooperation from digital service providers.
• Reinforce labour inspections in sectors where newly arrived migrant women are most at risk and train inspectors to spot exploitation.

The report draws on interviews with 1,223 women who had fled Ukraine since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began on 24 February 2022. The interviews were conducted from March to June 2024 in Czechia, Germany and Poland.