The Canadian Guidelines on Gender-Related Persecution: An Evaluation

The call for countries to adopt consistent standards for admission of women fleeing gender-related persecution was largely based on the experience of Canada and, more recently, the United States in formulating guidelines for refugee decision-makers. This article briefly outlines the background to the adoption of the Guidelines on Women Refugee Claimants Fearing Gender-Related Persecution issued by Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board in 1993. It describes the scope of the Guidelines, the omissions that have become evident as they have been interpreted and how they can be strengthened by the incorporation of recent gender-related law. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, Canada]