Ukrainian refugee women’s experiences in Poland in the first months of Russian invasion: a qualitative account

Abstract

ABSTRACT Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become the world’s fastest-growing human displacement crises since World War II. Disconnected families, difficulties related to adaptation and integration to life in new conditions are far from a complete list of challenges and threats society and host communities are facing. The research focuses on Ukrainian refugee women, including mothers with children, who form an exceptionally vulnerable social group, since women must take on the responsibility for themselves and their children. Moreover, women, including mothers with children face serious dangers, such as human trafficking and the risk of falling into forced labor or sexual exploitation. The research is aimed at studying the adaptation potential of Ukrainian refugee women in Poland, analyzing the challenges, risks, threats and opportunities caused by the migration of a large number of people, in particular women and children. The article emphasizes on the exploration of the life and ways of survival of Ukrainian refugee women in the new social reality of Poland, a factual reality where women, including mothers with children, have to live. The article is based on data from qualitative research conducted in June-July 2022 in Warsaw by the author of the article. The collected material includes 32 interviews (IDI).