The borders of solidarity: war and displacement of Ukrainian Roma women refugees in Poland

The repercussions of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 unleashed a humanitarian crisis across Europe. The significant presence of women and children among Ukrainian refugees—up to 90%— has posed challenges to the provision of education, childcare, employment, and health and psychological needs. The war has also exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities and gender disparities, making women, particularly those from marginalised communities such as Ukrainian Roma women, more susceptible to protection risks and gender-based violence. While Ukrainian refugees are reported to generally have favourable conditions for integration in European host countries, attributed to high educational backgrounds, established social networks, and ready access to employment opportunities, our research found underexplored gendered dimensions of the war, particularly those impacting Ukrainian Roma refugee women.

Download / read online: https://www.lse.ac.uk/africa/assets/Documents/WPS-Policy-Report.pdf-merged.pdf

The report was created as part of the research grant "Unwanted strangers – Ukrainian Roma refugees and the politics of bordering" under the program: The British Academy - BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants.