Talking about Women: The Iterative and Dialogic Process of Creating Guidelines for Gender-Based Refugee Claims

This article focuses on the process by which guidelines on interpreting refugee law with regard to gender have developed. The focus is upon the means of communication between states, individuals, international groups and non-governmental organizations which have facilitated the development of guidelines recognizing gender-based persecution as a valid ground for claiming asylum. The second part of the article discusses how this process leads to culturally-biased norms and the general considerations of cultural relativism and women's rights. In conclusion the article emphasizes the importance of characterizing the persecution of female refugee in a way that reflects their own experiences. [Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]