On 1-2 October 2020, the Council of Europe’s Drafting Committee on Migrant Women (GEC-MIG) held a productive 1st meeting via videoconference. GEC-MIG, supported by the Gender Equality Division, is tasked by the Committee of Ministers to draft a Recommendation on migrant and refugee women. GEC-MIG examined a needs assessment document and exchanged views with expert speakers on different topics to feed into its work. The Drafting Committee agreed to prepare a draft recommendation with a broad scope, addressing all relevant policies and covering migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls.

All 47 member states are invited to participate in GEC-MIG; participation costs are covered for the representatives of 8 member states (Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Serbia, Slovak Republic) and two meetings are foreseen each year (2020-2021). The second meeting will take place on 14-15 December 2020.