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Persecution is not Gender Blind Women demand Refugee Status in their own Right The press was cordially invited to a press conference on Wednesday 6 December 2000 organised by the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) to launch the European Campaign on Women Asylum Seekers at which members of Commissioner Vitorino’s and Commissioner Diamantopoulou’s cabinet were expected to attend. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Geneva convention on the status of refugees, the European Women’s Lobby is launching a campaign to highlight the forms of persecution that are unique to women and which require recognition in law: female genital mutilation; forced marriages; the stoning to death for presumed adultery and guilt by association, to name but a few. The campaign will last for one year and come to a close during the Belgian Presidency, which has already proposed an evaluation of the progress made on the system of asylum in EU law as part of its programme. In doing so they intend to bring to the forefront the contribution made by civil society as requested by Commissioner Vitorino in his recent Communication " Towards a common asylum procedure and a uniform status, valid throughout the Union, for persons granted asylum." Ms Denise Fuchs, President of the EWL said:"Women have been persecuted on the basis of cultural tradition and practices for far too long. The systematic rape of women in times of armed conflict and war is a reminder that women are used as a weapon of war that is usually condoned by all States. Similarly women are not always recognised as asylum seekers when their claim is based on guilt by association, where their partners are political prisoners but the women not being party members, cannot claim refugee status on the grounds of membership of a political party but are none the less persecuted by association. Women must be able to claim refugee status in their own right. We are looking to the EU, where all Member States have ratified the Geneva Convention, to lead the world in supporting this basic human right." Throughout the campaign the EWL will be monitoring the progress of the draft directive on "Minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status" currently being examined in the European Parliament to ensure that as far as possible the forms of persecution particular to women are recognised and reflected in the definitions and procedures of Refugees under EU law. This Campaign is carried out with the co-operation with the Foundation Heinrich Böll. Pour plus d'information: Mary
Collins Lobby
Européen des femmes
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