Canada clearly recognizes violence against women as a form of persecution and gender-based persecution as a ground for protection. U.S. law is up in the air at this point. That's what I would say. In fact, we have a case before the board now that may decide the parameters of this.
In 1995 the United States had followed Canada's lead and promulgated regulations that were protective of women applying for asylum. It then fundamentally backtracked on that in a 1999 decision. Regulations have now been pending for seven years, since 2000, to basically rectify that decision. Those regulations have still not been forthcoming.
So it's very haphazard as to whether a woman will get protection based on those standards and the standards that are commonly practised in a lot of refugee countries.