6 Things You Need to Know About Women Refugees This International Women's Day 

Explainers
Written By Master Account

This International Women's Day, we're shining a light on the reality faced by many women refugees across the world — and why safe routes must be part of the fight for women's rights. 

Here are 6 things you need to know: 

1. Half of all refugees are women, but the system wasn't built for them

49% of refugees worldwide are women and girls (UNHCR, 2023). But asylum policies are rarely designed with their specific needs and vulnerabilities in mind. 

Women seeking asylum in the UK have described being retraumatised throughout the process – some having to recount horrifying violence like rape or sexual abuse over and over again, often to male interviewers. Many also live in cramped and difficult hotel conditions, in the absence of any women-only spaces. [1]

2. Gender-based violence is a key driver of forced displacement

Women often flee for reasons directly linked to their gender – whether because they have faced or are at risk of violence such as forced marriage, Female Genital Mutilation or domestic abuse, or because they’re persecuted for standing up to oppression. The numbers are stark: 1 in 5 women refugees or internally displaced women have experienced sexual violence. 

In war-torn countries like DRC, Ukraine or Sudan, rape and other forms of sexual violence are also increasingly used as weapons of war. The UN has found that reports of such violence increased by 50% in 2024, with women and girls accounting for 95% of survivors. [2]

3. Yet, refugee law doesn't recognise gender-based violence as grounds for protection

The 1951 Refugee Convention doesn't explicitly list "gender" as a reason for protection, leaving women fleeing gender-based violence to jump through complex legal hoops to be granted protection. Last year, a landmark EU ruling finally addressed this gap by recognising that women who experience such violence in their country of origin can be regarded as belonging to a ‘particular social group’ under the convention, and therefore qualify for refugee status. [2]

But in countries where it isn’t binding, such as the UK,  many women refugees still face an uphill battle to prove their claims in a system that hasn't yet caught up with the realities they face. 

4. Women face significant risks on their journeys, too 

Without safe routes to reach countries where they can reunite with family or seek asylum, women are often forced to travel through dangerous routes, where they're particularly vulnerable to exploitation and violence. 

Shockingly, it’s estimated that nearly 90% of women and girls travelling through the Mediterranean route are raped. [4] The large majority of trafficking survivors in Europe are also women. [5]

5. Women refugees depend on family reunion routes — which governments are now closing

Because journeys to Europe are so dangerous, families often have to make the heartbreaking decision for one person to go ahead – often a male partner or relative – so women and children can join them safely once they have status. It's no coincidence that 9 in 10 refugee family reunion visas in the UK are granted to women and children. [6]

But now, many European governments are restricting and even suspending vital family reunion routes - including Germany, Austria and, since September 2025, the UK – leaving women trapped in incredibly dangerous situations, or pushed towards smugglers. 

6. Legal support is vital for women fleeing persecution, and you can help make it possible

For women trying to reach safety, there's danger at every step. Our lawyers work across the UK, Greece, and France to provide the legal support that helps them reach Europe and reunite with loved ones safely. 

One woman we recently supported is Mina, a journalist from Afghanistan who spoke up for women's rights. When the Taliban took over in 2021, her newsroom was attacked, and her colleagues were killed. She was forced into hiding for months. Our legal team fought tirelessly to secure Mina's asylum visa to join her sister in France, while she faced destitution and harassment in Pakistan where she'd fled. A few weeks ago, she was finally able to join her sister in France, where she’s now rebuilding her life – safe at last. 

When you donate to Safe Passage International, you're helping fund vital legal support for women like Mina, and campaigns to keep safe routes open when governments try to close them down >>

 
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