Mawani, Nurjehan

The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board Guidelines on Women Refugee Claimants Fearing Gender-Related Persecution represent an important and innovative development for refugee law generally and for the law relating to gender-related persecution in particular. This article discusses the general process of forming the guidelines in relation to Canada's Immigration Act.

This article is the text of a lecture reviewing the case law and policy developments in Canada aimed at protecting the rights of women refugees. The information reviewed provides a historical background on the issues facing women who claim refugee status in Canada. The article also examines specific developments concerning protection of women refugees both internationally and in Canada. The author has included examples from the case law, especially on the interpretation of the "particular social group" criterion.

This article by the Chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Board provides an introduction to the Canadian Guidelines on Gender-Related Persecution. The author reviews the development of the Guidelines and discusses example concerns of women refugee claimants which the Guidelines may be able to address. There is also a consideration of practical concerns with implementation, including barriers for women in the hearing room, the role of documentation, and the monitoring of the implementation of these guidelines. [Descriptors: Refugees and Immigration, Canada]