The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for AW-PRACTICE-1

Jan. 29, 2024, 5:50 p.m.
Countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"[V]ictims of trafficking in persons who [are supported] have been granted temporary residence in the State party, in 2015" (2). "[T]he special needs of refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls [are not addressed], including [the introduction of gender-sensitive asylum procedures]" (14).
Jan. 4, 2024, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"Singapore is not in a position to accept any persons seeking political asylum or refugee status" (21). "We may, on compassionate grounds assist such persons, in particular those who are pregnant or handicapped, to seek proper food and shelter and make arrangements for them to depart Singapore at the earliest opportunity to a third country. For such cases, Singapore is prepared to work with organisations willing to provide assistance, such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to repatriate or send persons in need to a third country within an acceptable timeframe" (21).
Oct. 4, 2023, 6:58 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"[M]igrant and asylum-seeking women and girls [are not guaranteed access] to employment, accommodations, education, health-care services and other support, including food, clothing and the necessary social services, appropriate to their particular needs" (15).
Sept. 25, 2023, 8:02 a.m.
Countries: Guyana
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"The law does not provide for protection of asylum seekers… [T]he government reported that it did not prosecute or deport Venezuelans seeking refuge" (6). These asylum and refugee seekers include both men and women (MV- coder comment).
Sept. 22, 2023, 8:51 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"There were reports throughout the year that Lunda Norte provincial authorities exerted pressure on irregular migrants and refugees to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The government failed to provide adequate protection for asylum seekers and urban refugees" (12). "The 2015 asylum law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, but the law had not been implemented... UNHCR and several NGOs reported that asylum seekers and urban refugees did not have a mechanism to apply for or resolve their status" (13).
Aug. 15, 2023, 5:22 p.m.
Countries: Bahamas
Variables: CWC-DATA-3, AW-PRACTICE-1

"Access to asylum in the country is informal, with no legal framework… The lack of refugee legislation or formal policy complicated UNHCR’s work to identify and assist asylum seekers and refugees" (9).
June 27, 2023, 11:16 p.m.
Countries: Algeria
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"The government provided some protection against the expulsion or return of refugees to countries where their lives or freedom would be threatened because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion" (19). "While the law provides generally for asylum or refugee status, the government has not established a formal system through which refugees can request asylum. There were no reports that the government granted refugee status and asylum to new refugee applicants during the year. According to UNHCR, the government did not accept UNHCR-determined refugee status for individuals" (20).
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: IAW-PRACTICE-1, AW-PRACTICE-1

"The Constitution provides separate provision on rights of women and guarantees the following:...The spouse shall have the equal right to property and family affairs" (5)(NF- CODER COMMENT - Since the constitution had to have this provision added in, it implies that there was once a time that spouses were unable to inherit certain assets). "As the outcome of the broad-based consensual political discourse, the Constitution has integrated gender equality by eliminating all forms of discrimination against women through clear provision from women’s rights framework and the spirit and intent of CEDAW. The Constitution provisions that ‘every woman shall have equal lineage right without gender-based discrimination’ and ‘the spouse shall have...more
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:14 p.m.
Countries: Namibia
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"The state party acknowledges that there are isolated cases regarding the existence or occurrence of negative cultural practices such as widow inheritance and sexual initiations among Namibia’s different ethnic groups. However, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare continues to conduct awareness campaigns on the negative impact of discriminatory stereotypes on women’s enjoyment of their rights. Traditional leaders, rural teachers, youths and learners are the main targets of these campaigns. The state party is encouraging different communities to report such cases in order for perpetrators of such crimes to be prosecuted." (12). "There have been numerous cases in Namibia where violence between intimate partners ends with the murder of...more
Feb. 2, 2023, 1:11 p.m.
Countries: Austria
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee welcomes the progress achieved since the consideration in 2013 of the State party’s combined seventh and eighth periodic reports (CEDAW/C/AUT/7-8) in undertaking legislative reforms, in particular the following:...(g) Fifth national action plan to combat trafficking in persons, in which asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors are identified as potential victims of trafficking, in 2018" (1-2). "The Committee notes with concern that:...(c) Efforts to identify women as victims of trafficking in persons are undermined by the restrictive asylum policies in place, which often involve speedy deportation; (d) Temporary residency permits for victims of trafficking are issued only for a one-year period that is renewable, in accordance with article 57 of...more
Feb. 11, 2022, 5 p.m.
Countries: Thailand
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"Authorities permitted bail only for certain categories of detained refugees and asylum seekers, such as mothers, children, and persons with medical conditions" (22-23).
Jan. 24, 2022, 1:07 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"Absent a legal framework, the government sometimes granted asylum on a situational basis on humanitarian grounds in accordance with international law. This approach resulted in varying standards of protection for different refugee and asylum-seeker groups" (33).
Dec. 16, 2021, 11:23 p.m.
Countries: Hungary
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"On July 17, after an official visit to the Hungary-Serbia border, UN Rapporteur Felipe Gonzalez Morales described prison-like conditions in the transit zones, with asylum seekers chained to hospital beds. Morales stated general hygiene conditions were acceptable but that medical care was insufficient. He added that doctors were available for only a couple of hours a day, and there were no gynecologists or pediatricians, even though the majority of asylum seekers were women and children. Interpreters were scarce and communication with doctors could be difficult" (19).
Nov. 30, 2021, 2:33 p.m.
Countries: Israel
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"Palestinian residents of the West Bank who claimed to be in a life-threatening situation due to their sexual orientation or other reasons, such as domestic violence, did not have access to the asylum system in Israel" (25).
Nov. 9, 2021, 11:34 a.m.
Countries: Turkey
Variables: TRAFF-LAW-3, IRP-LAW-2, AW-PRACTICE-1

"Istanbul, along with 14 other provinces, stopped registering asylum seekers in 2018, with the exception of those in a few categories such as newborn children and some specialized medical cases and family reunification instances" (42).
Nov. 8, 2021, 2:18 p.m.
Countries: Spain
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1, AW-LAW-1

"The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The country has bilateral return agreements with Morocco and Algeria. Authorities review asylum petitions individually, and there is an established appeals process available to rejected petitioners. The law permits any foreigner in the country who is a victim of gender-based violence or of trafficking in persons to file a complaint at a police station without fear of deportation, even if that individual is in the country illegally. Although potential asylum seekers were able to exercise effectively their right to petition authorities, some NGOs, such as the Spanish...more
Oct. 12, 2021, 8:55 a.m.
Countries: Germany
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"A Hamburg lawyer and former Green party state parliamentarian confirmed in February that he was representing four German families with seven children aged two to 14 who were calling on the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs for repatriation from Syria and Iraq, where they had joined the Islamic State. In April the government allowed one of the mothers to return from Iraq to Germany with her three children; the mother was promptly arrested. In November an appeals court in Berlin ruled the German government must repatriate from Syria the German wife and three children of an Islamic State member. Their lawyer said he hoped the decision would set a precedent...more
Sept. 13, 2021, 2:24 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"There were few applicants for refugee or asylum status and no successful applicants [in Macau]" (137).
Aug. 10, 2021, 11:35 a.m.
Countries: Greece
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"Undocumented migrants arriving at Greek islands were subjected to special border reception and registration procedures and were not allowed to leave registration centers for up to 25 days. After this period, undocumented migrants remaining in those facilities were generally allowed to enter and exit but were prohibited from travelling to the mainland unless they filed asylum applications deemed admissible by the asylum authorities or were identified as “vulnerable.” This group included[...]pregnant women or those who recently gave birth; single parents with young children; victims of torture, shipwrecks, and other trauma; and victims of human trafficking"(12).
July 7, 2021, 11:40 a.m.
Countries: United States
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"Saudi activists who have successfully fled political persecution in the kingdom do not advise women to flee as a first option, warning that women who run away without a clear plan in place are vulnerable to various kinds of abuse. Often the Saudi women who run away are young and inexperienced, further complicating their ability to navigate lengthy and complex asylum processes. Two young Saudi sisters found dead in New York last year had sought asylum in the U.S., according to detectives. They'd maxed out the older sister's credit card before their bodies were found along the rocky banks of the Hudson River wrapped together with tape. Police did not...more
July 7, 2021, 11:33 a.m.
Countries: Thailand
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"A Saudi teenager[Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun] has gone into hiding following Thailand's promise not to deport her after she barricaded herself in a hotel room to avoid being sent back to her 'abusive' family[...]After announcing that Thailand 'will not force her' to leave, Thailand's immigration chief Surachate Hakparn told reporters that Rahaf would be 'allowed to stay' after a meeting with officials from the UN refugee agency UNHCR.'She is under the care of the UNHCR now but we also sent Thai security to help take care (of her),' Surachate told reporters at Suvarnabhumi airport. He said the teenager had told UNHCR officials she 'wants to stay in Thailand for a while...more
July 7, 2021, 11:18 a.m.
Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"In a tweet this afternoon[January 2019], Rahaf, who fears retaliation from her family after she renounced Islam, said she was 'scared' after learning her father had arrived in Thailand - but that she was 'safe' with the UN and Thai authorities.[...]This morning, Bangkok's Criminal Court dismissed an injunction request from a human rights lawyer to prevent her deportation. But the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees later said it had been granted access to the Saudi national to assess her need for international protection 'and find an immediate solution for her situation'"(para 6,11,12)."Saudi women who attempt to apply for asylum face a number of legal hurdles, including proving abuse. Without...more
March 13, 2021, 4:47 p.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee also welcomes the recent announcement of a 45-day period of recovery and reflection for victims of trafficking, as well as the granting of temporary one-year visas" (10). "It notes that asylum on the grounds of gender-related persecution, including violence against women, is not frequently granted" (13).
Feb. 13, 2021, 11:12 p.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: TRAFF-PRACTICE-1, AW-PRACTICE-1

“O.G.O. v. the United Kingdom (no. 13950/12) (18 February 2014 (strike-out decision)): The applicant, a Nigerian national, who claimed to be a victim of human trafficking, complained that her expulsion to Nigeria would expose her to a real risk of re-trafficking. The Court decided to strike the application out of its list of cases, in accordance with Article 37 (striking out applications) of the Convention, noting that the applicant was no longer at risk of being removed as she had been granted refugee status and an indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. Moreover, the United Kingdom authorities had accepted that she had been a victim of trafficking” (13)....more
Feb. 13, 2021, 8:28 p.m.
Countries: Sweden
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

“Collins and Akaziebie v. Sweden (8 March 2007 (decision on the admissibility)): The applicants, Nigerian nationals, are mother and daughter. They alleged that they would be subjected to female genital mutilation if they were returned to Nigeria, in violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the Convention. The Swedish Migration Board rejected their applications for asylum, refugee status or a residence permit, stating, inter alia, that female genital mutilation was prohibited by law in Nigeria and that this prohibition was observed in at least six Nigerian states. Thus, if the applicants returned to one of those states it would be unlikely that they would be forced...more
Feb. 5, 2021, 6 p.m.
Countries: Burma/Myanmar
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

“The Committee welcomes the signature by the State party of a joint communiqué with the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, in the context of the implementation of Security Council resolution 2106 (2013), on 7 December 2018, identifying six priority areas for cooperation, including supporting legal reforms to respond to sexual violence, training and capacity-building of the justice and security sectors, providing assistance to survivors of sexual violence, ensuring that prevention of sexual violence is included in peace agreements and transitional justice and that perpetrators are excluded from amnesty and mitigating conflict-related trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation” (pp. 3).
Jan. 31, 2021, 1:58 p.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: IRP-PRACTICE-2, AW-PRACTICE-1

“As part of measures to protect women asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants from all forms of violence, the Ministry conducted training activities in partnership with civil society (the Women’s Network) in eastern and northern Angola, where there are Angolan refugees arriving from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a view to enhancing their social integration” (pp. 13).
Oct. 3, 2020, 6:36 p.m.
Countries: Ireland
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1, AW-LAW-1

“Izevbekhai v. Ireland (17 May 2011 (decision on the admissibility)): The applicant and her two daughters claimed the girls risk female genital mutilation if the family was returned to Nigeria, in violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the Convention. They alleged that the mother’s eldest daughter died aged one from profuse bleeding after female genital mutilation was performed by an ‘elder’. The family left Nigeria for Ireland in the face of pressure from the father’s family to perform female genital mutilation on the two younger girls. Their request for asylum was unsuccessful. The Court declared the application inadmissible as being manifestly ill-founded. It found in...more
Oct. 3, 2020, 6:15 p.m.
Countries: France
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1

“R.D. v. France (no. 34648/14) (16 June 2016): This case concerned the procedure for the applicant’s deportation to Guinea, her country of origin. Married to a Christian, she had endured all sorts of violent reprisals on the part of her Muslim father and brothers. The applicant alleged in particular that enforcement of her deportation to Guinea would expose her to a risk of treatment contrary to Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the Convention. The Court held that the applicant’s deportation to Guinea would constitute a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the Convention” (12).
Sept. 26, 2020, 4:35 p.m.
Countries: Belgium
Variables: AW-PRACTICE-1, AW-LAW-1

“Sow v. Belgium (19 January 2016): The applicant complained that she risked being subjected to a further excision procedure in the event of her removal to Guinea, her country of origin, and that no effective remedy had been available to her in respect of her complaint. The Court held that there would be no violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) of the Convention in the event of the applicant’s removal to her country of origin, finding that she had failed to substantiate a real risk of being subjected to a further excision procedure in the event of her removal to Guinea. The Court also held that...more