Resources

UNHCR and some states have published guidelines on gender and/or refugee women for asylum decision-makers:

UNHCR

UNHCR (1991) Guidelines on the Protection of Refugee Women. https://www.unhcr.org/media/guidelines-protection-refugee-women

UNHCR (1995) Sexual Violence Against Refugees: Guidelines on Prevention and Response https://www.unhcr.org/media/sexual-violence-against-refugees-guidelines-prevention-and-response-unhcr

UNHCR (2002) Guidelines on International Protection No. 1: Gender‑Related Persecution https://www.unhcr.org/media/guidelines-international-protection-no-1-gender-related-persecution-within-context-article-1a

UNHCR (2002) Guidelines on International Protection No. 2: Membership of a Particular Social Group https://www.unhcr.org/media/guidelines-international-protection-no-2-membership-particular-social-group-within-context

UNHCR (2003) Sexual and Gender‑Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Guidelines for Prevention and Response www.unhcr.org/media/sexual-and-gender-based-violence-against-refugees-returnees-and-internally-displaced-persons

UNHCR (2006) Guidelines on International Protection No. 7: The Application of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees to Victims of Trafficking and Persons at Risk of Being Trafficked www.unhcr.org/media/guidelines-international-protection-no-7-application-article-1a-2-1951-convention-and-or-0

UNHCR (2008) UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls, January 2008 www.unhcr.org/publications/unhcr-handbook-protection-women-and-girls

UNHCR (2009) Guidelines on International Protection No. 8 Child Asylum Claims under Articles 1(A)2 and 1(F) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugee www.unhcr.org/media/unhcr-guidelines-international-protection-no-9-claims-refugee-status-based-sexual-orientation

UNHCR (2012) Guidelines on International Protection No. 9: Sexual orientation and gender identity. UNHCR (2018) Policy on Gender, Age and Diversity www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/5aa13c0c7.pdf

Australia

DIMA (1996) ‘Guidelines on gender issues for decision makers’ International Journal of Refugee Law, vol. 9 (special issue) 1996, pp.195–212 https://academic.oup.com/ijrl/article/9/Special_Issue/195/2884391

Canada

IRB (2022) Chairperson’s Guideline 4: Gender Considerations in Proceedings Before the Immigration and Refugee Board https://irb.gc.ca/en/legal-policy/policies/Pages/GuideDir04.aspx

Norway

Guidelines on gender related persecution (in Norwegian) https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/retningslinjer-om-kjonnsrelatert-forfolg/id696289/

Guidelines on applications concerning applications based on persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity (in Norwegian) https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/g042012-ikrafttredelse-av-endringer-i--2/id686817/

Sweden

Swedish Migration Board (2001) Gender-Based Persecution: Guidelines for Investigation and Evaluation of the Needs of Women for Protection https://evaw-global-database.unwomen.org/es/countries/europe/sweden/2002/swedish-migration-board---guidelines-for-investigation-and-assessment-of-women-s-need-for-protection

Updated version 2021 (in Swedish only) https://lifos.migrationsverket.se/dokument?documentSummaryId=45493 

UK

Home Office (2018) Gender issues in the asylum claim https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/699703/gender-issues-in-the-asylum-claim-v3.pdf

In the Women in Refugee Law special issue of Refugee Survey Quarterly, September 2022, WiRL members pursued the network’s objectives of recentring the study of refugee women by reviewing the state of protection in domestic jurisdictions and internationally, identifying setbacks to adequate protection for women at risk of persecution, and proposing inclusive ways forward.

Reflecting WiRL’s global and interdisciplinary approach, the Special Issue diverged from the traditional academic journal structure by including ‘field reflections’ from activists and advocates with applied experience of improving refugee women’s protection.