ENoMW Submission
Violence against older migrant and refugee women in Europe remains significantly underreported, under-recognised, and insufficiently addressed. This phenomenon is driven by the intersection of sex-based inequality, age discrimination, and migration-related vulnerabilities, often resulting from cumulative disadvantage across the life course.
Structural Inequalities and Lifelong Economic Marginalisation
Structural inequalities and lifelong economic marginalisation, including the “motherhood penalty” and exclusion from formal labour markets, contribute to financial dependency and heightened exposure to violence in older age. These women face a range of specific harms, including physical, psychological, and economic abuse, as well as “administrative violence” stemming from digital exclusion and language barriers. Furthermore, older women who have been exploited in systems of prostitution or surrogacy represent a highly marginalised group facing long-term health consequences and unaddressed trauma.
Violence in Private and Institutional Settings
Perpetrators are most commonly found within the immediate environment of the victim, particularly family members, adult children, and formal or informal caregivers. In institutional settings such as nursing homes and hospitals, violence frequently manifests as neglect, overmedication, and violations of dignity and autonomy. Despite the prevalence of institutional abuse, data remains largely invisible because most studies are not disaggregated by sex, making it difficult to determine the specific impacts on older women.
Gaps in Legal and Policy Frameworks
Existing legal frameworks at both the European Union and Member State levels are often fragmented and insufficiently adapted to the realities of older women. While general laws on domestic violence provide a foundation of protection, they are frequently designed for younger populations and fail to address age-specific risks such as dependency, institutionalisation, or transnational legal hurdles. Ultimately, the submission calls for a comprehensive, trauma-informed, and life-course approach to bridge these gaps in policy, service provision, and access to justice.
Read the full submission below