COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: June 2022
COI summary
Belgravia has been described as one of the most gender unequal countries in the world. Women face under-representation and barriers to employment. The limits of participation of women in better paid socio-economic activities makes women more prone to poverty and precarity Furthermore, discrimination limited girls’ access to schooling, due to the conflict situation and practices such as early marriage, with girls in farming, rural, remote, displaced, and nomadic communities being particularly affected. Their access to justice was also hindered.
Violence against women and girls is a pervasive problem in Belgravia, which, has been exacerbated by recurring armed conflicts. The major forms of sexual and gender-based violence across the country are sexual violence, domestic violence, so-called honour crimes, child marriage and trafficking in women and girls. Rape and sexual violence against women and girls continued to be underreported due to a climate of impunity as well as victim’s fear and stigma. Belgravia lacks comprehensive legislation to protect and punish violence against women. SGBV service provision remains low as compared to the need and geographical landscape in Belgravia.
Conclusions and guidance
Do the acts qualify as persecution under Article 9 QD?
Some acts reported to be committed against women and girls under this profile are of such severe nature that they amount to persecution (e.g. rape, certain forms of physical violence including of domestic violence, sexual violence). When the acts in question are of less severe nature (e.g. obstacles to employment, education and access to justice), the individual assessment of whether they could amount to persecution should take into account the severity and/or repetitiveness of the acts or whether they occur as an accumulation of various measures.
What is the level of risk of persecution (well-founded fear)?
The individual assessment of whether there is a reasonable degree of likelihood for the applicant to face persecution should take into account risk-impacting circumstances, such as: perception of traditional gender roles in the family, socio-economic situation, area of origin (also in relation to presence of extremist groups), etc.
In the case of women without support network, see sub-profile 2.7.2. Single women and female heads of households.
Are the reasons for persecution falling within Article 10 QD (nexus)?
Where well-founded fear of persecution is substantiated, available information indicates that persecution of this profile may be for different reasons under Article 10 QD, depending on the specific circumstances of the case. For example, women and girls who have been sexually abused may be subjected to persecution for reasons of membership of a particular social group, based on their common background which cannot be changed (past experience of sexual abuse) and distinct identity in Belgravia (in relation to stigmatisation by society).