A Call for Women’s Rights
A message from Lisa Frydman, Staff Attorney Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, UC Hastings College of the Law :
Dear colleagues,
Take action to insist that the US recognize that women’s rights are human rights! Please contact your Representative in the House today to urge that he/she sign onto a letter requesting that the Attorney General certify In re A-T- for review. Since its 1996 decision – In re Kasinga – the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has recognized female genital mutilation (FGM) as persecution. However, In re A-T- marks a significant departure from the advances made for women’s rights in Kasinga. In A-T-, the BIA ruled that past FGM is not a basis for asylum because, unlike forced sterilization, FGM was not deemed to be a continuing harm. The decision also failed to recognize forced marriage as persecution. A powerful New York Times article providing background on the case can be found at: http://cgrs.uchastings.edu/documents/media/nyt_Liptak_11-07.pdf.
A bi-partisan sign on effort, sponsored by Representative Steve Rothman (D-NJ) and Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), is underway in the House of Representatives to request that the Attorney General certify the decision. The more Representatives that sign on, the greater the pressure will be on the AG to certify the case. Members who have signed on so far include:
1. Steve Rothman (D-NJ) 2. Chris Smith (R-NJ) 3. Allyson Schwarz (D-PA) 4. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) 5. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) 6. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) 7. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) 8. Jim Moran (D-VA) 9. Mike Honda (D-CA) 10. Tom Allen (D-ME) 11. Joe Pitts (R-PA) 12. Jim McGovern (D-TX) 13. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) 14. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) 15. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) 16. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) 17. Albert Wynn (D-MD) 18. Al Green (D-TX) 19. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) 20. Steve Cohen (D-TN) 21. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) 22. Betty McCollum (D-MN) 23. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) 24. Lois Capps (D-CA) 25. Betty Sutton (D-OH) 26. Jose Serrano (D-NY) 27. Howard Berman (D-CA) 28. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) 29. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) 30. Brad Miller (D-NC) 31. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 32. Sander Levin (D-MI)
Your support is needed! If your Representative has not yet signed on, contact him/her by calling the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or by going to https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml.
Tell your Representative that:
• The BIA’s decision in In re A-T- is a significant departure from the United States’ commitment to protect women’s rights across the globe.
• The Board’s reasoning in this case misconstrues the nature of FGM as simply a one-time act, rather than recognizing the severe ongoing medical and psychological harm that FGM causes, as well as its purpose to further subjugate women in society.
• The Board failed to recognize forced marriage as persecution, signaling a general hostility toward, and ignorance of, women’s human rights. • The U.S. has a proud history of protecting the rights of women who are forced to flee grave human rights violations in their home countries. We must not allow the U.S. to turn its back on the courageous women who simply wish to have their fundamental rights to autonomy and bodily integrity recognized.
PLEASE URGE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SIGN ONTO THE LETTER BY CONTACTING SHELLY STONEMAN IN CONGRESSMAN ROTHMAN’S OFFICE AT: SHELLY.STONEMAN@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV OR 202-225-5061.
The letter to Attorney General Mukasey is attached. Download finalcopy_fgm_letter_house122007.pdf
Please contact Lisa Frydman at: frydmanl@uchastings.edu with any questions.
Sincerely,
Lisa Frydman
Staff Attorney
Center for Gender and Refugee Studies
UC Hastings College of the Law
200 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102 Ph: (415) 565-4791 Fax: (415) 581-8824 frydmanl@uchastings.edu