Women Asylum Seekers in the Current Crisis: A Conversation

To mark International Women’s Day the Research Group for Law, Gender and Sexuality at Westminster Law School held an evening conversation on 10 March 2016 on Women and Asylum. Speakers working in different areas of the asylum system shared their insights and experiences with an audience of staff, students, activists and other visitors. Harriet Samuels (Westminster Law School) chaired the conversation and the speakers were Princess Chine Onyeukwu (The Protection Gap Campaign), Debora Singer (Policy and Research Manager, Asylum Aid), Priya Solanki (Barrister, 1 Pump Court Chambers) and Zoe Harper (Legal Officer, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association). This article is an edited extract from the transcript of the presentations and wide-ranging discussion, including the question and answer session. The discussion focused on the different steps in the refugee determination process and considered, in particular, the gendering of credibility and how women’s perceived lack of credibility has a significant impact on determinations and processes