Women are Human: Gender-Based Persecution Is A Human Rights Violation Against Women

This article begins with examples of the human rights of women being violated simply because they are women. The subsequent review of United States immigration and asylum law on gender-based persecution looks to the necessity of incorporating international law within the US law. Part I reviews the international human rights instruments relevant for the protection of women and Part II reviews the US asylum law. The article then moves to consider specific elements of the refugee definition and how they are being applied with the US. In Part VI, the author reviews the current procedures of interviewing female applicants and highlights means through which these procedures could be improved. The article concludes that gender-based persecution is an appropriate ground on which to grant asylum. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International - North America]