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GRF-07855 |
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submitted/soumis: 06.12.2023 |
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Multistakeholder pledge: Gender – Gender Equality & Protection from Gender-based Violence |
Engagement multipartite : Genre – Égalité des sexes et protection contre la violence sexiste |
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Support member States in protecting the rights of refugee women and girls, including victims of gender-based violence. |
Aider les États membres à protéger les droits des femmes et des filles réfugiées, y compris les victimes de violences sexistes. |
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Within the framework of the decisions taken by its Committee of Ministers and the available resources, the Council of Europe will support national authorities in designing and adopting policies, legislative frameworks, and procedures at local, regional, and national levels to promote the rights of migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women and girls. Additionally, it aims to facilitate their access to inclusive and quality specialised services for victims of gender-based violence. The Council of Europe will carry out these efforts through various activities, including those of the Gender Equality Division, the Violence against Women Division (which provides the Secretariat to the monitoring mechanism set up under the Istanbul Convention), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Migration and Refugees, and the coordination of the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the context of migration and asylum in Europe (2021-2025). Other initiatives involve the programme of Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP courses), the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. The activities will promote and support the implementation of the relevant Council of Europe standards and principles, essentially set out in: - the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention). - the Committee of Ministers Recommendation on Protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls (adopted in May 2022) - the Parliamentary Assembly report and Resolution on Gender mainstreaming of migration policies - the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Resolution on Reception of women and children refugees in Europe’s cities and regions. The Council of Europe commits to carrying out the following activities which will contribute to assisting Member States in establishing legislative policies and procedures at local, regional and national levels to implement these standards: - Call for ratification of the Istanbul Convention by both member and non-member states of the Council of Europe, given the importance of its standards for migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker women and girls victims of violence (NB. the Convention is open for accession by all countries in the world). - Disseminate Council of Europe Recommendation CM(2022)17 on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls and encourage its implementation and further translation by member states. - Produce awareness-raising tools on Recommendation CM(2022)17 on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls. - In the context of cooperation activities with Ukraine: Organise a roundtable meeting to publicise practical tools on the implementation of the Recommendation on migrant women and of Articles 60 and 61 of the Istanbul Convention. Bring together key stakeholders to promote the use of the resources and the proper implementation of the standard. - Disseminate the Parliamentary Assembly report and Resolution on Gender mainstreaming of migration policies; Disseminate the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Resolution on Reception of women and children refugees in Europe’s cities and regions; Participation in events, conferences, expert meetings and roundtables meetings to raise awareness. - Support the strengthening of knowledge and capacities through further dissemination of HELP online courses on Violence against Women, focusing in particular on the Istanbul Convention, the HELP course on women’s access to justice and the HELP course for law enforcement professionals on violence against women. |
Dans le cadre des décisions prises par son Comité des Ministres et des ressources disponibles, le Conseil de l'Europe aidera les autorités nationales à concevoir et adopter des politiques, des cadres législatifs et des procédures aux niveaux local, régional et national afin de promouvoir les droits des femmes et des filles migrantes, réfugiées et demandeuses d'asile. Il vise en outre à faciliter leur accès à des services spécialisés inclusifs et de qualité destinée aux victimes de violences basées sur le genre. Le Conseil de l'Europe mènera ces efforts à travers diverses activités, notamment celles de la Division de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, de la Division de la violence à l'égard des femmes (qui assure le secrétariat du mécanisme de suivi mis en place dans le cadre de la Convention d'Istanbul), du Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général sur les migrations et les réfugiés, et de la coordination du Plan d'action pour la protection des personnes vulnérables dans le contexte des migrations et de l'asile en Europe (2021-2025). D'autres initiatives concernent le programme d'éducation aux droits de l'homme pour les professionnels du droit (cours HELP), l'Assemblée parlementaire (APCE) et le Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux. Ces activités viseront à promouvoir et à soutenir la mise en œuvre des normes et principes pertinents du Conseil de l'Europe, essentiellement énoncés dans : - la Convention du Conseil de l'Europe sur la prévention et la lutte contre la violence à l'égard des femmes et la violence domestique (Convention d'Istanbul) ; - la recommandation du Comité des ministres sur la protection des droits des femmes migrantes, réfugiées et demandeuses d'asile (adoptée en mai 2022) - le rapport et la résolution de l'Assemblée parlementaire sur l'intégration de la dimension de genre dans les politiques migratoires - la résolution du Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux sur l'accueil des femmes et des enfants réfugiés dans les villes et régions d'Europe. Le Conseil de l'Europe s'engage à mener les activités suivantes qui contribueront à aider les États membres à mettre en place des politiques et des procédures législatives aux niveaux local, régional et national afin de mettre en œuvre ces normes : - Appeler à la ratification de la Convention d'Istanbul par les États membres et non membres du Conseil de l'Europe, compte tenu de l'importance de ses normes pour les femmes et les filles migrantes, réfugiées et demandeuses d'asile victimes de violence (NB : la Convention est ouverte à l'adhésion de tous les pays du monde). - Diffuser la Recommandation CM(2022)17 du Conseil de l'Europe sur la protection des droits des femmes migrantes, réfugiées et demandeuses d'asile et encourager sa mise en œuvre et sa traduction par les États membres. - Produire des outils de sensibilisation à la Recommandation CM(2022)17 sur la protection des droits des femmes migrantes, réfugiées et demandeuses d'asile. - Dans le cadre des activités de coopération avec l'Ukraine : organiser une table ronde afin de faire connaître les outils pratiques pour la mise en œuvre de la recommandation sur les femmes migrantes et des articles 60 et 61 de la Convention d'Istanbul. Réunir les principales parties prenantes afin de promouvoir l'utilisation des ressources et la mise en œuvre adéquate de la norme. - Diffuser le rapport et la résolution de l'Assemblée parlementaire sur l'intégration de la dimension de genre dans les politiques migratoires ; diffuser la résolution du Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux sur l'accueil des femmes et des enfants réfugiés dans les villes et régions d'Europe ; participer à des événements, conférences, réunions d'experts et tables rondes afin de sensibiliser le public. - Soutenir le renforcement des connaissances et des capacités par la diffusion plus large des cours en ligne HELP sur la violence à l'égard des femmes, en mettant particulièrement l'accent sur la Convention d'Istanbul, le cours HELP sur l'accès des femmes à la justice et le cours HELP destiné aux professionnels de l'application de la loi sur la violence à l'égard des femmes. |
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Reporting on progress, March 2025 |
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Summary |
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The CoE Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) and related activities have a particular focus on migrant women. Recom. CM/Rec(2022) on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls provides guidance on protection from violence, access to services and gender-sensitive asylum and detention policies. |
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Brief description of the steps taken in implementing the pledge |
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The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women (the Istanbul Convention) and the Recommendation CM/Rec (2022)17 on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls provide a comprehensive framework to guide CoE Member States towards the completion of the pledge. Relevant projects were developed at national level in Armenia, Ukraine and Türkiye. Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)170 on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls is now available in 8 languages (Croatian, English, French, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Ukrainian). Key relevant steps taken in Armenia: § Establishing a networking platform to build the capacity of CSOs advocating for refugee women and girls, § Funding grants to enhance the socio-economic independence of refugee women in regional communities, § Training media on reporting about refugee women and girls, including a guidance on Gender-sensitive journalism, § Raising awareness by disseminating stories highlighting the achievements of refugee women, § The project Ending violence against women and promoting gender equality in Armenia provided technical expertise to national authorities on policy building and protection mechanisms to empower refugee women and girls, including strengthening the capacity of CSOs. Key relevant steps taken in Ukraine: § The Combating Violence against Women in Ukraine project is committed to supporting Ukrainian authorities at central and regional levels in implementation of the Istanbul Convention, with special focus on IDPs and refugee women and girls, § Developing a Guide to the implementation of the Council of Europe Reccomendation on Protecting the rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women and Girls Key relevant steps taken in Türkiye: § The joint EU/Council of Europe project Fostering Women’s Access to Justice in Türkiye provided grants to a CSO working with Syrian refugee women to raise awareness about their rights and domestic violence. § The CoE awarded grants to CSO ASAM to implement activities in Adana province, the fifth largest refugee community in Türkiye with more than 200.000 Syrians under temporary protection. Adana was also affected by the earthquakes in 2023. The grantee is expected to strengthen legal aid mechanisms for women in vulnerable situations. CoE HELP online courses aim to equip legal and law enforcement professionals with the tools to promote gender equality, address violence against women, and ensure justice and protection for victims. HELP courses devoted to addressing violence against women and girls and promoting gender equality: § HELP course on violence against Women, with a particular focus on the Istanbul Convention, § HELP course on Refugee and Migrant Children § HELP course on Women’s Access to Justice § HELP course for Law Enforcement Professionals on Violence Against Women § HELP course on Gender Equality and Mainstreaming The list of CoE texts related to migration, adopted in in 2024: Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The theme of migration and asylum in election campaigns and its consequences on the reception of migrants and their rights Precarious and irregular work situations of migrant seasonal and domestic workers Ensuring human rights-compliant asylum procedures Missing migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – A call to clarify their fate A shared European approach to address migrant smuggling CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Protecting the Defenders: Ending repression of human rights defenders assisting refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Europe, in English & French. Introduction and recommendations available in Croatian, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Polish & Spanish – Feb. 2024 Guides/toolkits: Language Support for Migrants Toolkit 2024 & Guide – 80 resources designed for educators Resilience journal for adolescents in English, Romanian & Ukrainian – June 2024 Guide to protect the rights of refugee, migrant and asylum-seeking women and girls – May 2024 |
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The impact of the pledge |
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Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)170 on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls gathers in one document relevant gender-sensitive provisions on migration, integration and asylum policies. It is a strong commitment of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe in this area. Council of Europe projects contributed to the protection and support of refugee women by: In Armenia: § contributing to aligning national policies with international standards, particularly in combating violence against women, which includes protection of refugee women, § empowering them through socio-economic projects and training, § strengthening the advocacy capacity of CSOs founded by refugees, § raising awareness of the general population through refugee women’s success stories. In Ukraine: § contributing to aligning national policies with international standards, particularly in combating violence against women, which includes protection of refugee women, § providing practical support to authorities and expanding professional guidance on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls, § raising awareness about gender-sensitive asylum policies. |
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Beneficiaries reached |
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Armenia: 206 refugee women benefitted through socio-economic empowerment projects, § 21 CSOs supported in advocacy efforts to promote rights and needs of refugee women, § 65 media professionals trained on “gender-sensitive journalism” that focused on refugee women stories, § over 300.000 people were reached through awareness-raising initiatives in Armenia. Ukraine: 55 Ukrainian civil servants received a Guide to the implementation of the Council of Europe Recommendation on protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls Türkiye: 15 Syrian women under temporary protection in Adana province were informed about their rights and issues related to domestic violence and violence against women, and on how to access legal aid mechanisms. Relevant HELP courses: 27.744 users enrolled; 8.031 have successfully completed in self-learning format. Additionally 1.159 legal professionals participated in courses, tailored to national legislation, with 77% success rate. |
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Links to relevant content |
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Migrant and refugee women and girls – Different language versions of recommendation https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLorkNpXcUEaoPn81SUnjouMVI660vnARc&si=DglL0EtyWnSpb60V https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubFiOnXGcd4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwyHPqjroPo https://epress.am/en/2024/11/28/single-women-from-karabakh.html https://epress.am/en/2024/12/06/dreams-after-karabakh.html The networking event and Empowerment projects for refugee and local women in Armenia Ukraine: Guide to the implementation of the CoE Recommendation on Protecting the rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Women and Girls in EN and UA CoE Rec. CMR/Rec(2022)17 on Protecting the Rights of Migrant, Refugee and Asylums seeking Women and Girls in UKR, HUN, ROM andSVK |
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Pledge contribution to one or several of the multi-stakeholder pledges |
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Involvement of refugees |
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Refugee women and girls were directly involved in the course of the project implementation in Armenia. The CSOs that were engaged in capacity building activities not only work with refugee women but are also founded and led by refugee women. A refugee-founded NGO was selected to implement an empowerment project and focused on supporting refugee women to build their businesses and ensure integration in the community. Refugee women were also engaged in the initial phase of socio-economic empowerment projects through needs assessment meetings and discussions. |
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Pledge consideration of the age, gender and diversity |
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CoE activities on gender equality have an intersectional approach. The normative framework (Istanbul Conv. and Rec. on migrant women and girls) contains provisions on non-discrimination and aims to address the needs of women in all their diversity. The project in Armenia took age, gender, and diversity into account by implementing inclusive and tailored approaches to support refugee women. Empowerment projects addressed the specific needs of diverse groups, including refugee women, and local women in vulnerable situations. Ensuring that women of different ages and backgrounds received the support together also ensured building channels of communication and a sense of belonging for all beneficiaries. Many local and refugee women built joint businesses and supported each other through difficult times following the completion of the projects. In UKR and TUR, the projects took age, gender, and diversity into account by implementing inclusive and tailored approaches to support refugee women. |
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