The most recent data indicates that approximately 3.7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, while nearly 6.5 million have registered as refugees worldwide. With a total of 1.13 million, Germany has absorbed the largest cohort.
As soon as the Russian attack started in 2022, Ukrainian refugees were given the right to work and social benefits, such as medical care. Quick and decisive steps were taken to make it easier for them to get to Germany.
Ukrainians have been permitted the privilege of traveling back and forth to their country of origin without compromising their entitlements, in contrast to other asylum applicants in Germany.
As a consequence of these expedited policy modifications, Ukrainian migrants were granted privileges that were not extended to others. In 2015, for example, many Syrian refugees who had come on foot through the Balkans, Hungary, and Austria were turned away at the German border when Germany chose to put back in place border controls.
This unfair handling shows how Ukrainian refugees have been seen as the only ones who deserve to come to Europe. Ukraine’s martial law also prohibits most men aged 18–60 from leaving the country, meaning the majority of international refugees are women and children.
Studies have shown that gender has a big effect on how people who have been forced to move feel. It can affect how they are portrayed, understood, and integrated into host countries, as well as the policies that are made that directly affect them.
The goal of our study, which came out in December 2023, was to look into how Ukrainian women are portrayed in German media and what that can tell us about how Germany sees its refugee population.
Using gendered language to talk about Ukrainian refugees
Our study looked at 79 stories about female Ukrainian refugees from Der Spiegel and Die Zeit, two popular German news outlets, that came out in the first year of the most recent war in Ukraine. We learned that most of the talk about Ukrainian women living in Germany is about how they are willing and able to work and how they will help the budget of their new country and keep children safe.
Early news stories also talked a lot about the real sacrifices Ukrainian women make to follow their dreams, goals, and aspirations. This is especially important to note. Profiles that have been published in German media elsewhere emphasize certain of these qualities.
Refugees from “Mary Poppins” were the first guests.
We found and looked into five main traits that displaced Ukrainian women are shown to have in the media: being known, educated, hardworking, thankful, and welcome.
The following is an account of an interview with a Ukrainian woman named Lena: “‘We are very thankful,’ says Lena. Every few minutes, she conveys her appreciation for anything and everything.
“We want to be good for both ourselves and Germany,” Lena is said to have said. “Acquire language skills, create income, and contribute to taxes,” the article says she plans to do. She is excited to help out in this neighborhood and will do so right away.
Many times, Ukrainian women are shown to be successful workers in Germany, or they say they plan to be productive workers soon. “I have finished my B1 German course and am now taking my B2 course. I have been offered a job in a hospital near Frankfurt am Main, but I still need the professional permit and a few other papers. It takes a long time,” says another interviewee.
It is also shown that Ukrainian women are ready to help protect the values and ideals of cooperation, diplomacy, and education that their hosts hold dear. According to one quote, a Ukrainian woman said, “I am more useful to Ukraine when I am here.” Along with giving some of the money I make from my job back home, I also give to the Ukrainian army.
It is important to remember that these conversations and stories are filtered through German media for a German audience. It is very telling how one reporter wrote about a Ukrainian woman’s desire to go to college: “It is as if the 22-year-old wanted to give a personal reaction to the violence unleashed by Russia in her homeland: more education, more international understanding, more Europe.”
This kind of reporting may try to humanize refugees, which is a good thing, but it can lead to unrealistic hopes. Focusing on their ability to provide economic or cultural benefits can make it harder to see the problems they face as people trying to get away from conflict.
Based on our research, we came to the conclusion that the ideal female refugee would be like Mary Poppins from the famous Disney musical fantasy film of the same name (1964): she shows up out of the blue, does not bring much with her, is well-spoken and polite, and can fit right in with her hosts’ lives, leaving only good effects. She says that she is “almost beautiful in every way.”
When stereotypes are glorified, they have two effects.
In the end, images like these are bad for everyone who has been displaced. They make people expect refugees to make a difference, but by praising one group, they cast a shadow over those who do not fit the bill. People who do not fit into this “practically perfect” category may be left out or criticized for reasons like not having enough money, not being able to find work, or cultural differences.
In the same vein, idealized depictions of Ukrainian women who have been displaced by conflict may also be detrimental, as they obscure the substantial challenges they face, such as the protracted and difficult process of obtaining recognition for Ukrainian qualifications in Germany.
The point of our study is to go beyond the “common sense” ideas about displaced people that are often at the center of public policy and conversation. These tend to focus on what refugees can do to help instead of their natural right to be protected by everyone.
