The event aimed to draw broad attention to the status of women and girls in light of global crisis related to substantial increase in a number of refugees and asylum seekers in the world.  

The participants of the event were addressed by Sergiy Kyslytsya and the representatives of the European Commission, UN Women, Women’s Refugee Commission, NGO and scientists, all of whom focused on the increasing number of violations of women’s and girls’ rights as well as threats such as violence against women and systematic sexual abuse.

During the discussion, its participants referred to challenges faced by women refugees and asylum seekers and the ways of their minimization. Also emphasized was the necessity for states to take steps in line with the Council of Europe’s standards of protection of the rights of this category of women, contained in international binding instruments of this international organization. Particular attention was paid to Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women (Istanbul Convention), Convention on Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention), and Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings as well as the examples of the best practices of their implementation.