Annotation:
These Guidelines, developed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), are intended "to provide legal interpretative guidance for governments, legal practitioners, decision-makers and the judiciary as well as UNHCR staff carrying out refugee status determination in the field." The guidelines begin with the non-legal definition of gender-related persecution, review the historical background of interpreting refugee law in light of gender and outline circumstances potentially amounting to a well-founded fear of persecution. The guidelines note that a common challenge in assessing gender-related claims is establishing the causal link between the fear of persecution and the Convention grounds. The guidelines review the various Convention grounds to argue that gender claims can be made under each of these grounds and not simply for persecution on account of membership in a particular social group. Specific procedural issues outlined in the conclusion focus on ensuring that the gender-related claims of women are properly considered. [Descriptors: Migration - Refugees and Immigration, International]