Nearly three years after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian refugee women in the European Union are facing major difficulties in accessing employment, housing and healthcare, warned representatives of two women’s rights organisations in Ukraine on Tuesday 18 February at a discussion organised by the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).
The speakers noted that almost seven million Ukrainian women had fled their country since the start of the conflict. “These women want to work, but 55% of them are still unemployed”, lamented Anastasiia Petrenko, founder of the United Women platform, pointing to insufficient recognition of Ukrainian diplomas and complex administrative procedures within the EU. What’s more, “40% [of them] are forced to return to Ukraine for basic medical care”, she added.
Milena Goryachkovska, coordinator of the Ukrainian Women’s Fund, also presented the latest Gender Equality Index for Ukraine, compiled with the support of the EU. The indicator reveals a persistent lag in terms of professional equality and recognition of women’s work, even though “many women have mobilised to support the military, displaced persons and survivors of sexual violence linked to the conflict”, she pointed out.
In particular, the two representatives suggested setting up a “European platform” to help Ukrainian women into employment, “social integration programmes” and “financial incentives for companies” to encourage their recruitment throughout the EU. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)