Women as Asylum Seekers: A Legal Handbook

There has typically been no gender attached to the term 'refugee' and limited attention has been focused on the protection needs of women as asylum seekers in the UK. This reflects in part an implicit assumption by some of those involved in the refugee determination process that gender does not make a difference to the experience of being a refugee. There is increasing evidence however, that refugee women may be unable to benefit equitably from protection and assistance measures. Although some countries have begun to recognise the specific needs of refugee women and have taken appropriate measures to ensure their access to protection and material assistance, much more still needs to be done in the UK to respond to the ways in which gender shapes the experience of seeking asylum. These concerns, both procedural and substantive, are the driving force behind this handbook.