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Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, humanitarian needs have been increasing by the hour. Millions of people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives. As of 6th April 2022, around 11.4 million people have been forcibly displaced, with 7.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and nearly 4.3 million who have fled the country, seeking a safe haven in neighbouring countries. The majority of displaced people and refugees are women and children. The EU must put SRHR and protection from sexual and gender-based violence at the heart of its response to the crisis, in order to respond to the SRHR needs of Ukrainian people, especially of all women, girls and vulnerable and marginalized populations fleeing the war, whether they are in third countries or in EU Member States. Our brief includes recommendations that the EU can adopt within external and internal action in order to deliver on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of refugees and displaced persons. Credit photo: Fine Acts

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, humanitarian needs have been increasing by the hour. Millions of people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives. Anyone who has been forced to flee or who lives in an area of active fighting is particularly vulnerable, even more so women and girls. People’s access to health services may be suspended or the quality may be low, and they will not have access to lifesaving reproductive health care. They are in a dire state of emergency and further exposed to risk of sexual violence, sexually transmitted infections including HIV and unintended pregnancies. Amid the terrifying devastation experienced through a humanitarian crisis, people need first and foremost safety and protection. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services can save lives and prevent further suffering. Read below about the urgent actions to be taken by European humanitarian donors and actors.

111 organizations express deep concern regarding current threats to reproductive rights in Slovakia. The Slovak Parliament is currently debating draft legislation that if adopted would impose new barriers to accessing lawful abortion care, harm women’s health and well-being, and undermine their decision-making and privacy. It would also force doctors to act in conflict with their professional obligations to their patients. The draft legislation seeks to double the medically unnecessary mandatory waiting period currently required before accessing abortion on request and extend its application, impose a new layer of medical authorization requirements for abortion on health grounds, and introduce a requirement forcing women to state the reasons for seeking an abortion and to provide other private information when requesting an abortion. The draft legislation also seeks to restrict the information that medical professionals can provide publicly about abortion care, and to strengthen the dissuasive nature of the mandatory information doctors are required to provide to women seeking abortion. Together with other civil society organisations, we call on all Members of Parliament to reject this regressive and harmful legislative proposal and to refrain from further attempts to restrict women’s reproductive rights in Slovakia.