[Brussels, 21 March 2013] Asylum claims based on gender-based persecution increased from 6% to 17% of the total number of claims in Belgium between 2007 and 2012. Belgium is one of the rare countries that publishes gender-based statistics when it comes to asylum claims and procedures.
In Belgium, the number of asylum claims based on gender-based persecutions increased threefold between 2007 and 2012. The majority of those claims were made by women. A smaller proportion was made by men persecuted because of their sexual orientation. [[http://www.rtbf.be/info/belgique/detail_de-plus-en-plus-de-refugies-reconnus-suite-a-des-violences-lies-au-sexe?id=7942942
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Belgium is one of the few countries in Europe which have incorporated gender-sensitive guidelines in their asylum policies. It is the only country in Europe with an administrative office dedicated soley to gender in asylum claims (“cellule genre” of the CGRA – Commissariat aux réfugiés et aux apatrides).
The CGRA established a typology of gender-based persecutions:
– Persecutions based on sexual orientation or gender identity
– Honor killing
– Female genital mutilations
– Forced marriage
– Intra-familial violence
– Sexual violence/rape
– Forced sterilization and forces abortion
In the European Union, the Common European Asylum System attempted to harmonize the way Member States interpret asylum claims. The two qualification directives (2004/83/EC and 2011/95/EU) require Member States to take gender into account to a certain extent to in their definition of refugee status. However, according to the GENSEN report on gender-based asylum claims, strong disparities remain between Member States. In general, there is a general lack of gender sensitivity in European asylum policies.
Increasing the gender-sensitivity of asylum policies in Europe is a long-term aim of the European Women’s Lobby and other NGOs such as Amnesty International and ILGA.
