Each year is dubbed “a year like no other”.  2022 will certainly stand out as more tumultuous than many other recent years. Following two years of a pandemic that had devastating consequences at all levels and led to a significant rise in gender-based violence (GBV), on the 24th of February the world woke up to the large-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by the Russian Federation. In under a month nearly 4 million people, mainly women and children, had been forced to leave their homeland. Although GBV can potentially affect any person, man or woman, boy or girl, it has been well-documented that refugees, asylum seekers, and the displaced, especially women and children, are at much higher risk of becoming victims.  A study conducted in 2012 revealed that 69.3% of female migrants and refugees had experienced sexual and GBV since they entered Europe, often facing the danger of falling victim to prostitution or human trafficking. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on the 6th of April that some 4.3 million people, mostly women, had fled Ukraine, with over 2.5 million seeking refuge in Poland.

 

These events highlighted the unpreparedness of civil society to respond to such a crisis and protect the most vulnerable.  Aware of such need to be better prepared, BSAFE was conceived.  In light of this, BSAFE’s mission is to counteract and prevent all forms of gender-based violence against vulnerable women who have been displaced due to conflict in their home countries. Bringing together organisations from three countries currently central to the refugee crisis in Europe, namely Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, the project aspires to establish protective measures that prevent any forms of maltreatment and shield those directly or indirectly affected.