A Proposal to Improve the Treatment of Women in Asylum Law: Adding a "Gender" Category to the International Definition of "Refugee"

The current asylum laws of the international community do not adequately address the unique needs of female refugees which result from pervasive gender discrimination. This paper advocates the addition of a category of gender to the internationally recognized definition of refugee. Section II outlines the physical and sexual violence committed against women around the world. Section III reviews the international documents that form the basis of modern asylum law and applicable human rights standards. Sections IV through VI focus specifically on United States asylum laws and the problems encountered by women seeking refuge from gender-based persecution. Section VII proposes to add a gender category to the U.S. and UN definitions of refugee. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]