Gender-based violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights violations. Recent studies show that about 25.4% of women in Europe and Asia Central Asia have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or partner’s by non-partners.

Violence is widespread in contemporary society across all social groups and deep-rooted, with serious effects on the health, quality of life and well-being of victims and their families.

The consequences of gender-based violence can threaten all aspects of health physical, sexual and reproductive, mental and behavioral health. The results of violence can be immediate and acute, as well as long-lasting and chronic. The more the act of violence, the greater its impact on women’s health. Moreover, exposure to multiple forms of violence (e.g. physical and sexual) can have a negative impact on a woman’s health. (physical, sexual) and/or multiple incidents of violence can result in more serious consequences over time. to her health. Gender-based violence can have long-term adverse effects on health.

The most severe and persistent consequences are physical and emotional ones such as depression and anxiety, low self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder and facial trauma or physical disabilities; many of which persist long after the abusive relationship has ended.

Economically and socially, gender-based violence places a direct cost on society as a whole as well as the individual. Many victims are affected by a lack of confidence in their own strengths and in achieving economic independence and securing livelihood needs for the victim and her children through their own strengths (e.g. in many cases with low level of education, status of “housewife”, lack of vocational training).

Many refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls who have come to Europe in recent years have been exposed to gender-based violence in the form of coercion, survival sex, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, domestic violence, harassment or extortion. In transit and on arrival, they face common problems such as lack of safety, absence of separate bathrooms, little information on available support services, absence of gender interpreters and a general lack of general and post-traumatic medical care.

However, the protection of refugee women from violence has not been considered a priority in the management of the refugee crisis, and the overall gender dimension has been largely overlooked in the response. Ensuring protection from gender-based violence for all women, regardless of their status and where the violence took place, should be made a priority. a priority, in line with the Istanbul Convention.

There is an urgent need to ensure that refugee and asylum-seeking women are protected from gender-based violence at every step of their journey and throughout their stay as asylum seekers. Gender-based violence can be a challenge for a country, but practical protective measures can be taken to combat the problem.