For women and girls like Tahirih’s clients, it is not enough to have just any attorney. Their unique gender-based violence cases require attorneys who are well-versed in both sensitive cultural issues and the extremely complicated and often unexplored territory of gender-based immigration law.

The court decision reflects a critical course-correction from earlier decisions by both the judge and the nation’s highest immigration court that held asylum claims by women who have suffered FGM to a higher legal standard than claims by other asylum applicants.

Landmark legislation would reaffirm the United States’ commitment to all those fleeing persecution and enact key provisions to assist women and girls seeking asylum in the United States.

Proposed legislation would put an end to the one-year filing deadline for asylum. The deadline can have devastating consequences for women and girls seeking refuge from gender-based persecution.

A Tahirih-sponsored congressional briefing offered policymakers and the public a vital opportunity to learn about the harmful impact of unsettled policy and current immigration laws on women and girls fleeing gender-based violence.

The lack of clarity and coherence in gender-based asylum law is a roadblock to women seeking protection from violence and persecution.

Women seeking political asylum in the United States based on gender-related persecution can get mired in a legal labyrinth that can leave their cases unresolved for years.