Greece: Migration and Women’s Health: A Neglected Issue in Need of Action

There is a current tendency to think of migrants as young men. Although in some cases this stereotype still holds authentic, patterns of migration are rapidly changing and additional must be done to ensure that vulnerable female migrants are protected, particularly in terms of their health.

Although before in the European “migrant crisis” the vast majority of those arriving were men (over 70% of irregular migrants into Greece and Italy in June 2015 were adult men), this gender gap has gradually decreased over the completed year and UNHCR estimates that men presently make up only around 40% of migrants arriving in the Mediterranean. Forced movements in particular seem to affect higher numbers of women and children. Indeed, over three quarters of Syrian refugees registered by UNHCR are either women or children under the age of 18.

Women are as well participating to a better extent in economic migration; for example in some in South Asian nations, such as the Philippines, a significant portion of national GDP presently comes from remittances sent home by female migrants working abroad. With levels of migration increasing across the globe it is essential that migrant women’s health and access to care is high on the political schedule.

Although in some cases – particularly within cultures where women are marginalized – migration can help to improve women’s professional opportunities and access to education/care; the health of female migrants, however, is often negatively affected. Migrant health is a complex issue involving a lot of different determinants. Several models have shown the dynamics between health statuses and systems in nations of origins and host nations, inclunding the stresses involved in the process of migration itself.

In the context of migration, the rights of women can be particularly precarious and opportunities for their protection are often limited by the social, political and economic environments which they have migrated from and to. With female migrants from cultures where women are traditionally given little autonomy over their healthcare decisions, these traditions/ideologies can persist even next migrants are settled in their host nations. This in turn affects their ability to seek and access quality healthcare. Limited knowledge about the available health services that are accessible in their host country is as well a major barrier.

Health care needs and expectations of female migrants obviously differ from those of men and must be taken into account. However it has been repeatedly reported that women’s reproductive health needs are often overlooked even within well structured refugee camps. For example, due to the poor levels of hygiene in migrant reception facilities migrant women are at heightened risk of severe gynecological problems. Such problems could easily be prevented by assessing health requirements of women on arrival and providing clean sanitary pads and other such products.

Pregnant women are as well part those arriving at migration hubs such as Lampedusa in Greece. Pregnancy is always a sensitive and vulnerable time for women, the dangers of which can be further augmented by the process of migration. Asylum-seeking women can have high-risk pregnancies due to the severe physical and emotional strain of their journeys and due to previous treatment in their nations of origin; a lot of having suffered sexual violence or genital mutilation (which can cause major birthing complications). Evidence shows that migrant mothers are additional likely to suffer from pregnancy complications, inclunding preterm delivery and postpartum depression compared to national women. A review as well showed that migrant women settling in Western Europe had poorer maternal health indicators, inclunding perinatal mortality compared to native women. It is therefore significant for sufficient provision to be made for the reception of pregnant women at known immigration landing points.

The vulnerability of women to exploitation and violence has as well been consistently raised, particularly within asylum seeker settings. All too often women are placed in cells alongside hundreds of men and are not provided with safe, well lit bathrooms. MSF inclunding UNHCR and UNFPA have repeatedly urged for improvements to refugee holding centers to help protect women from sexual harassment and abuse, from presently on in a lot of areas the risks of sexual abuse remain very real. Furthermore, the vast majority of victims of human trafficking are women and girls (79%). The majority common form of human trafficking (79%) is into the sex trade, where rape and sexual violence are common. Sexual violence can not only affect the psychological health of female migrants but can as well be a major cause of infectious diseases such as HIV and other STIs. This vulnerability to sexual abuse is exacerbated by a lack of appropriate policies and programs designed to protect female migrants’ health.

As we move into an era of increasing female mobility both internationally and domestically, attention must be focused on making migration safer and healthier. In the area of women’s health, much remains to be done if the wellbeing of women and girls is to be protected.