Background information
on gender and asylum issues4

The following is a collection of news articles, opinion pieces, and letters to the editor which deal with some aspect of gender asylum or refugee protection, including articles back to 1999 on the Rodi Alvarado case, as well as pieces regarding other precedent-setting decisions, controversial legislative measures, etc.

2007

Adam Liptak, Drawing a Line Between Enduring Harm and Legitimate Fear, The New York Times, November 5, 2007

Felecia Bartow, Killings of Women Rising in Guatemala, El Tecolote, August 10, 2007

William Fisher, House Tackles Femicide in Latin America, Truthout, April 9, 2007

Warren Richey, Does the prospect of arranged marriage and abuse warrant asylum in the US?, Christian Science Monitor, March 23, 2007

Karen Musalo, International Women's Day 2007: Recognizing Gendered Violence as a Violation of Human Rights, Center for American Progress, March 8, 2007

Alex Kotlowitz, Asylum for the World’s Battered Women, The New York Times Magazine, February 11, 2007

2006

Nina Bernstein, When a Foreigner Turns American, The New York Times, Sept. 24, 2006.

Contesting the Bar to Asylum, The Los Angeles Times, Aug. 21, 2006.

Jule Shaw, A last plea for clemency for a young, deaf immigrant, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 9, 2006.

Tresa Baldas, Waiting for Asylum, National Law Journal, March 13, 2006

D.M Osborne, The Gender Gap, American Lawyer, February 2006

Leena Khandwala, Don't Send Women Back to their Tormentors, Miami Herald, January 23, 2006 (also appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser, Houston Chronicle, and the Akron Beacon Journal)

Itir Yakar, Panel Cites Genital Mutilation in Asylum Grant, San Francisco Daily Journal, January 3, 2006

2005

Bob Egelko, Alito Ruling Gave Women Grounds For Asylum, San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 2005

Pamela MacLean, Judges Blast Immigration Rulings , The National Law Journal, October 24, 2005

Araceli Martinez-Ortega, Final Feliz Para Una Pesadilla, La Opinion, August 20, 2005

Sandip Roy, U.S. Europe Raise Barriers to Asylum, Pacific News Service, August 11, 2005

Melissa Dribben, Limbo to Asylum for Abused Wife, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2, 2005

Tyche Hendricks, Gang-Rape Victim Granted Asylum After Long Court Battle, San Francisco Chronicle, July 15, 2005

Peter Blumberg, Judge Wonders When Genital Mutilation Might Be OK, San Francisco Daily Journal, June 22, 2005.

Edwidge Danticat, A Crime to Dream, The Nation, May 2, 2005.

Tina Sussman, Long wait for women seeking asylum as U.S. operates in legal vacuum, New York Newsday, March 31, 2005.

Editorial, Fighting Single-Sex Persecution: A Recent Court Ruling Broadens Protections for Women Who Are Fleeing from Cultures That Practice Genital Mutilation, Portland Oregonian, March 29, 2005.

Henry Weinstein, Court Eases Asylum Rule for Genital Mutilation, Los Angeles Times, March 11, 2005.

Libby Lewis, Genital Mutilation Can Be Grounds for Asylum Status, All Things Considered, National Public Radio, March 11, 2005.

Peter Blumberg, Ruling Favors Women Who Seek Asylum, San Francisco Daily Journal, March 11, 2005.

Jane O. Hansen, Ancient Rite or a Wrong? Genital Cutting of Girls Becomes an Issue in Georgia, Nationwide, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 2, 2005.

Bill Frelick, Women Will Suffer Under Asylum Law, Journal Sentinel Online, February 26, 2005.

William Fisher, Legal Limbo for Battered Women Seeking Asylum, Inter Press Service, February 15, 2005.

Anita Sinha and Stephen Knight, Playing the Terror Card, Contra Costa Times, February 14, 2005.

Carmen Valenzuela, Abuse Victim’s Asylum Claim Deserves Justice, Miami Herald, January 31, 2005.

Frank Davies, Ashcroft Declines to Resolve Asylum Case of Battered Women, Knight-Ridder News Wire, January 24, 2005.

Bob Egelko, Ashcroft Will Pass Asylum Case to Successor, San Francisco Chronicle, January 22, 2005.

John Files, Ashcroft Won’t Aid Asylum Seeker, The New York Times, January 22, 2005.

2004

Wendy Wright and Cory Smith, Grant This Woman Asylum, The Washington Post, October 8, 2004.

Tyche Hendricks, US Court Rules Rape is Grounds for Asylum, San Francisco Chronicle, June 16, 2004, at A1.

Susan McRae, Asylum Plea of Raped Guatemalan Is Revived, San Francisco Daily Journal, June 15, 2004.

Jeff Chorney, Circuit Says Rape Can Be Form of Oppression, The Recorder, June 15, 2004.

Editorial, A Haven for Abused Women, The New York Times, April 29, 2004.

Jeff Chorney, Ninth Leans to Asylum for Rape Victim, The Recorder, April 15, 2004<.

Rachel Swarns, Ashcroft Weighs Granting of Political Asylum to Abused Women, The New York Times, March 11, 2004, at A1.

Jennifer Ludden, U.S. Weighs Asylum for Domestic Abuse Victim, National Public Radio, February 20, 2004.

Monica Rohr, Ashcroft to decide case that could add a class of victims, Boston Globe, Feburary 19, 2004.

Jim Lobe, Ashcroft Mulls Asylum for Battered Women, One World/IPS, February 18, 2004.

Emily Bazar, Asylum-Seekers Make Gender an Issue, Sacramento Bee, February 9, 2004.

Woman who suffered "rape-like gynaecological exam" eligible for asylum, says US Court of Appeals, Women's Asylum News, 2/28/2004.

2003

Kimberly Sevcik, Why is the US turning away victims of domestic violence?, Marie Claire, October 2003, at 148.

Thomas Adcock, Shearman Associates Win Asylum Case, New York Law Journal, May 23, 2003

Jason Hoppin, Seeking Shelter, The Recorder, May 5, 2003

Joan Ryan, Asylum for the Abused, Too?, The San Francisco Chronicle, May 4, 2003

Editorial, Asylum for Abused Women, The New York Times, March 19, 2003, at A26

Alison Neumer, Abused women deserve U.S. asylum, Chicago Tribune, March 14, 2003, at 2.

Stephen Knight, A Safe Haven for Women, Toronto Star, March 7, 2003

George Lardner, Jr., Ashcroft Reconsiders Asylum Granted to Abused Guatemalan, Washington Post, March 3, 2003, at A2.

Patrick J. McDonnell, Ashcroft Weighs Domestic Abuse Asylum Claim, Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2003, at A17.

Lee Hockstader, Court Blocks Dallas Woman's Deportation, Citing Threat of Mutilation, Washington Post, Jan. 2, 2003

2002

Karen Musalo and Stephen Knight, Unequal Protection (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Special Issue: Seeking Refuge, Nov/Dec 2002).

Press release: European Women's Lobby, World Refugee Day 2002: "women's human rights must be at the core of asylum policies in the EU."

Ruddock overruled on wife's refugee plea, AAP, April 11 2002

2001

Jason Hoppin, Murder Moots 9th Circuit Case on Asylum for Domestic Violence Victim, The Recorder (San Francisco), Dec. 10, 2001

Canal Solidario, Interview with CGRS Director Karen Musalo, Nov. 2001

Jason Hoppin, 9th Circuit to Rehear Domestic Abuse Asylum Case, The Recorder (San Francisco), Oct. 24, 2001

Bob Egelko, Battered Mexican woman granted new asylum hearing, San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 24, 2001

Anna Quindlen, Torture Based on Sex Alone, Newsweek, Sept. 10, 2001, at 76

Jim Oliphant, Seeking Shelter, Legal Times (Washington, DC), July 30, 2001, at 1, and "Asylum Law Heads into New Territory,
   The Recorder (San Francisco, CA), July 30, 2001, at 2

Mark Sappenfield, A Turkish Mother in the Boston Area Fears Her Husband Will Abuse Her if She Returns, Christian Science Monitor, April 24, 2001

Adam Pertman, "I Want to be Treated Like a Human," Boston Globe, April 15, 2001

Rosa Townsend, EE UU concede asilo a extranjera victimas de la violencia doméstica, El País, April 15, 2001

Patrick J. McDonnell, Ruling Allows Asylum for Foreign Victims of Abuse, Los Angeles Times, March 22, 2001, at A3

Pamela A. MacLean, Asylum Extended to Victims of Severe Domestic Violence, San Francisco Daily Journal, March 22, 2001, at 1

Jason Hoppin, Family Abuse Can Support Asylum Bid, The Recorder (San Francisco), March 22, 2001, at 1

Gareth Harding, EU Outlines Asylum Plan for Victims of Sex Slavery, The Independent (U.K.), March 9, 2001

Lisa Margonelli, We Don't Care About Women, Jane Magazine, March 2001

Paul Brinkley Rogers, "Guatemalan Woman Who Claims Her Husband Beat Her Can Stay," Miami Herald, Jan. 26, 2001

Susan Sachs, Reno Voids Denial of Asylum for Guatemalan Battered Wife, The New York Times, January 20, 2001, at B4

David Cázares, Reno Hands Woman an Edge on Asylum, Sun-Sentinel (Florida), Jan. 19, 2001

Fiona Morgan, The Politics of Protection, Salon, Jan. 9, 2001

2000

Jody Benjamin, Plan Gives Abuse Victims Hope for Asylum, Sun-Sentinel (Florida), Dec. 17, 2000

Dan Eggen, Proposal Broadens Asylum, Washington Post, Dec. 8, 2000 (Page A04)

Pauline Jelinek, Gender Considered in New Asylum Rule, Associated Press, Dec. 7, 2000

Patrick J. McDonnell, Change Planned in Asylum Rules on Domestic Abuse, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 7, 2000

Frederic Tulsky, "Domestic Violence On Agenda," San Jose Mercury News, Dec. 7, 2000

INS, Press Release, Proposed Rule Issued for Gender-Based Asylum Claims, Dec. 7, 2000

Alan Travis, Asylum Rules Eased for Women, The Guardian, Dec. 5, 2000

Bernice Yeung, Should the U.S. Give Asylum to Victims of Domestic Violence?, SF Weekly, Oct. 25, 2000

Bryan Robinson, "The Evolution of Asylum," ABCNews.com, Sept. 25, 2000

Mark von Sternberg, Battered Women and the Criteria for Refugee Status, U.S. Committee for Refugees, World Refugee Survey 40-47 (2000)

Chris Hedges, Asylum Policy is Piecemeal in Cases of Gender Abuse, New York Times, March 12, 2000

Joyce Howard Price, Victims of battery get asylum from U.S., The Washington Times, February 5, 2000

Judy Mann, A Desperate Woman is Denied Asylum,Washington Post, February 2, 2000

Barbara Bradley, Asylum Denied to Jordanian Woman Who Will be Killed for Her Family's Honor If She Returns, National Public Radio, January 14, 2000.

1999

Editorial, Give Them Shelter, Now!, Glamour, December 1999 at 179.

Esta Soler, Denying Asylum to a Battered Woman, Washington Post, November 8, 1999 (p. A21)

Anna Shelton, Battered Women: A New Asylum Case, The Progressive, November 1999 (pp. 25-27)

Sheryl McCarthy, No Activism, No Asylum, Ms. Magazine, October/November 1999 (pp. 21-22)

David Loeb, Domestic Abuse and Immigration,Report on Guatemala, Fall 1999

Susan Sachs, Women Newly Seeking Asylum, The New York Times, Week in Review, August 1, 1999

Susan Sachs, Sex Persecution: U.S. no haven for female victims, The San Francisco Examiner, August 1, 1999

The Family Violence Prevention Fund, Dangerous Precedent Set as Battered Woman Is Denied Asylum, Speaking Up, July 12, 1999

Editorial: Victim and Refugee: A Guatemalan Woman was Abused by a Sexist State, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 7, 1999

Frederic Tulsky, Asylum Denied for Abused Girl; Ruling of Appeals Panel is Assailed, The Washington Post, July 4, 1999 at A3.

CERIGUA Weekly Briefs, Abused Woman is Denied Asylum in US, June 29, 1999

José Pertierra, Golpe Legal a Victimas Violencia Domestica que Buscan Asili EEUU, El Salvador Magazine, June 23, 1999

Rina Jimenez-David, Spousal Abuse Grounds for Asylum?, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 22, 1999

Frederic Tulsky, Abused Woman is Denied Asylum, The Washington Post, A1, June 20, 1999

Celia Dugger, Woman's Plea for Asylum Puts Tribal Ritual on Trial, The New York Times, April 15, 1996