TERRE DES FEMMES Schweiz

What ist gender-specific persecution?

Women's reasons for fleeing can be divided into persecution by the state or by private actors:

• Women may be threatened with state persecution for political reasons, either in the form of persecution due to their own political activities or due to the (actual or presumed) political activities of family members. Violation of social norms (such as wearing or not wearing a headscarf) can also be regarded as a political activity.
• Private persecution may include the threat of  FGM, forced marriage, domestic and sexual violence, or honour-based violence.

Persecution by either state or private actors includes, for example, systematic rape in times of war or forced pregnancy, abortion or sterilisation.

• Report "Frauen im Asylverfahren" (TdF, 2011, only available in German).
• For facts on gender-specific persecution download our fact sheet.
• Go to Threats to women's lives