Written declaration No. 600 | Doc. 13898 | 01 October 2015

Europe’s refugee crisis - urgent need to protect women and children

Signatories: Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Mr David BAKRADZE, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Pascale CROZON, France, SOC ; Ms Sahiba GAFAROVA, Azerbaijan, EC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Dalia KUODYTĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Guguli MAGRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Olivia MITCHELL, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Stefaan VERCAMER, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Birutė VĖSAITĖ, Lithuania, SOC ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

According to UNHCR by 16 September over half a million refugees and migrants arrived to Europe.

An increasing number of them are families with small children and pregnant women. They represent the most vulnerable group: at risk of sexual violence, including rape and exposed to trauma, malnutrition and disease. The lack of access by women, especially pregnant women, to reproductive health services represents a major health disaster.

We call on Council of Europe member States especially the countries with most arrivals: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, France (Calais), Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Serbia, Spain, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Turkey as well as UN agencies and the civil society to:

• Respond to the disproportionate impact of the refugee crisis on women and children and to prioritise funding for their health needs,
• At the receiving points and refugee camps to urgently provide better hygiene, medical assistance and offer women and girls protection from gender based violence and rape.