Introducing the Immigration and Refugee Board Guidelines on Gender-Related Persecution

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. It also explains the events leading up to the implementation of the guidelines on gender-related persecution and outlines several issues with respect to the guidelines: hearing room issues, the role of documentation, training initiatives and the monitoring process. [Migration - Refugees and Immigration, Canada]