Last week, the Board of Immigration Appeals found that a domestic violence victim from Guatemala was eligible for asylum and withholding of removal, under 8 USC §§ 1158(a) and 1231(b)(3), as a member of a particular social group composed of "married women in Guatemala who are unable to leave their relationship."
New Projects for the Hague Conference
The Conclusions and Recommendations adopted by the Hague Conference General Affairs Council at its meeting in April 2012 include two interesting new projects in connection with the Child Abduction and Child Protection Conventions. The Council authorized a new Working Group to develop a Guide to Good Practice on the interpretation and application of Article 13(b) of the Abduction Convention which allows a court to deny a return order where there is a s
Divorce in India
Pamposh Raina has posted this interesting item on the New York Times “India Blog”: For Indian Women, Divorce is a Raw Deal (March 22, 2012). The piece links to the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill 2010 now pending before the Parliament in India, and notes a research study to be published later this year on the economics rights of separated and divorced women in India.
Special Commission Reconvenes in The Hague
Part II of the Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the Hague Abduction and Child Protection Conventions begins on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 and continues through January 31 in The Hague. Rather than focusing primarily on the possibility of a protocol to the Abduction Convention, the meeting will focus on future work in three areas: enforceability of mediated agreements in the family law area, a legal basis for direct judicial communication, and the treatment of domestic violence issues within a return proceeding. In addition to a
Forced Marriage in the U.S.
Thanks to Melissa Kucinski for circulating the link to this survey of forced marriage in immigrant communities in the U.S., carried out in 2011 by the Tahirih Justice Center.
Test for Violence Against Women Law in Afghanistan
Alissa J. Rubin and Rod Nordland have reported in the New York Times on the arrest of four men for an acid attack committed against the wife and three daughters of a man who had refused a marriage proposal for one of the daughters. See “Four Afghan Men Held in Acid Attack on Family” (NYT 12-9-11).
New Issue: International Law, Policy and the Family
Online access to the August 2011 issue of the International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family is available here.
Afghan Women's Shelters at Risk
Women’s advocates are objecting to indications that the Afghan government is moving to take control of women’s shelters that are now funded by international organizations, private donors, and other governments. Recent news stories on the issue include Alissa J. Rubin, Afghan Proposal Would Clamp Down on Women’s Shelters (NY Times Feb.
Ruling on Asylum in Domestic Violence Case
Julia Preston reports in the New York Times on a recent case that clarifies the legal standard for asylum in domestic violence cases. See Asylum Granted to Mexican Woman in Case Setting Standard on Domestic Abuse (NYT 8/12/10).
Child Brides in Afghanistan
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has released videotapes showing public beatings of two Afghan girls, ages 13 and 14, who had attempted to flee from illegal forced marriage. See this article by Rod Nordland and Alissa J.