In 1994, a Somali woman was granted refugee status by Canada because she wanted to protect her 10-year-old daughter from the female genital mutilation that would be her fate if she returned to Somalia. This is the first time any country has recognized this situation as a determinant for receiving refugee status. The woman reported that if her status request were denied, she was prepared to offer her daughter for adoption in Canada rather than return with the child to Somalia where more than 90% of women are forced to endure removal of their external genitalia. The woman's lawyer noted that the written reasoning of the refugee board will clarify whether all women victimized by female genital mutilation could claim refugee status in Canada or whether this would be reserved for women with daughters endangered by the mutilation. Since 1993, Canada has accepted refugee claims from women who report that they face persecution because of their gender. In the current case, the woman originally claimed refugee status because her family was persecuted by the then-dictator of Somalia. This initial claim was invalidated when the dictator was deposed.

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evaluation Americas refugee population Migrants demography Population Dynamics Refugees Developed Countries North America Canada Western Hemisphere Article female genital mutilation migration developed country Demographic Factors Refugees--women Critique Emigration and Immigration Evaluation Studies Transients and Migrants Northern America