Parliament debate and vote on how to protect women fleeing Ukraine from violence and trafficking, and on granting them access to essential health services. MEPs strongly condemn the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war and to express their deep concern about the growing number of reports of human trafficking, sexual violence, exploitation, rape and abuse faced by women and children fleeing Ukraine. Opening statements by Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D,PL), Author and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

EU - Ukraine (T)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

violence against women (T)

BIEDROŃ, Robert (S&D, PL)

JOHANSSON, Ylva (SE)

solidarity with Ukraine (T)

The impact of the war against Ukraine on women: opening statements by Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author and by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&amp;D, PL), Author, President, commissioner, dear colleagues. Despite the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people, Russia's barbaric war continues. And as usual in such conflicts, girls and women pay the highest price. This is why the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality has prepared a resolution on the impact of this war on girls and women, which strongly condemns the Russian aggression and urges the EU and its member states to ensure that women seeking refuge in Europe receive all the support they need.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, Every day. Independent media alert us that mass rapes, sexual and gender based violence, torture and genocide are being used as a weapon of this war. And we will not rest until the perpetrators of those crimes are brought to justice. This is the promise. This is the declaration which must be heard today in this House. But even when they are deeply within, lives might never recover from such a trauma.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, more than 5 million of people have been forced to flee the country, with an estimated 90% of refugees being girls and women and children. We as European citizens have reacted to the incoming refugees with unprecedented solidarity. And for the first time Council of the EU triggered the Temporary Protection Directive. From this place, I want to thank you, Commissioner Johansson, for your personal involvement in this case.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, However, this is merely the first step and the member states need to increase their efforts in this regard. The risk of violence and sexual exploitation does not end. Once vulnerable women and children crossed the border as human traffickers increase it, profit the crisis. Member States must improve the registration of all refugees and volunteers and ensure refugees can travel safely.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, People need specialised support as survivors of violence. Thus, women need to gain access to livelihoods, including their ability to work and earn income to get stability and possible independence. Economic empowerment of women and integration is crucial here. Women in Ukraine in and in the host EU countries require access to full range of sexual reproductive health services.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, It is therefore absolutely unacceptable that, for instance, women seeking refuge in Poland, the EU country with the highest proportion of refugees, are forced to continue pregnancies that are a result of a brutal rape. Finally, we need to ease the burden on civil society as they have worked tirelessly to help refugees filling the gaps created but sometimes slow and indecisive actions of our governments.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, And it is high time that the Member States step up their efforts here. Considering all the both, I would like to ask the Commissioner and the Commission what specific strategies to prevent and combat trafficking of women and children is the EU's implementing in this context?

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, Secondly, what is your role in providing support to coordinating health services on refugees arrival in the EU, which ensure the women have access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services, including emergency contraception, contraception itself, legal and self abortion, and skilled assistance during childbirth.

SOUNDBITE (English), Robert BIEDROŃ (S&D, PL), Author, Third, what is the EU's role in collecting evidence against war atrocities that have been committed, in particular investigating war crimes, including rape? Fourth, what are the EU medium term plans for managing the situation of women refugees? Long life to the heroic, heroic Ukrainian women. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Thank you, President. Honourable Members, Russia is not only waging a war against Ukraine. Russia is waging war against women. There are increasing and credible reports of Russian soldiers raping women, women and girls as young as ten and as old as 78. Rape as a weapon of war. Violating women's bodies to break the spirit of people. Rape is a crime against women. A war crime. A crime against humanity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, So I welcome the resolution of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality condemning sexual violence. You ask, how can we investigate these crimes? I say we must leave no stone unturned to punish the perpetrators. The EU supports investigations by the Ukrainian authorities, by the Member States and International Criminal Court, Eurojust, Open Case and support a joint investigation team together with Ukraine.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, We propose to boost Eurojust capabilities to handle evidence of war crimes. You ask, how can we support victims of rape? I say, we must do everything in our power to help the victims. Can you just imagine the trauma? Russian soldiers come into your yard. They kill your husband, who tries to protect you, and they rape you one after the other. They invade your country. They invade your home. They invade your body.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, The Temporary Protection Directive is very clear. Member States need to provide medical help, also psychological help. And can you imagine you are pregnant by your rapist. Like 9 out of 25 women systematically raped in a basement in Boucha. Let me tell you something I feel very strong about: women who suffered rape and sexual violence, need to have access to safe abortion and sexual and reproductive health treatments immediately and unconditionally and any other specialised care they need.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, That is what I call standing with Ukrainian women. With member states, we will donate emergency contraception pills. And civil society organisations are doing a fantastic job helping these women and they deserve our thanks and support. And yesterday I had opportunity to discuss exactly this issue, the topic of how to support women victims of rape in Ukraine with the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, and we are discussing how we can also join efforts in this aspect.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, You also ask, what are we doing to prevent and fight trafficking of women and children? I raised this issue from the first day of war. A few weeks ago, I presented to this House the decisive action that we are taking.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Your report has set up a special task force and yesterday, together with the EU anti-trafficking coordinator Diane Smith, I presented the EU Common Anti-Trafficking Plan to the Solidarity Platform where we coordinate efforts to help refugees. And next week, the Solidarity Platform will endorse this plan to raise awareness to boost prevention, investigation, prosecution, early identification and support victims.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, You ask, how do we support women once they are safe in Europe? And I say by putting in practise a temporary protection directive, helping women with health care and housing and schools and with jobs, by helping with child care as outlined in the Child Guarantee and the Strategy on Rights of the child.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, And we did a new Europol's talent pool pilot initiative to match women's qualifications and skills with employers across Europe. Honourable Members, when I think of the women of Ukraine. I think of the old lady who on the first day of the war walked up to a Russian soldier twice her size sexually, she gave him some sunflower seeds and said, "Put this in your pockets so they will grow where you die". Let her strength inspire us to do everything we can to support the amazing women of Ukraine. Thank you.