Gender Issues: New law would help immigrants facing female circumcision

Gender-based violence is a problem facing millions of women worldwide.

Forced marriage, honor killing and female genital mutilation are just a few of the human rights abuses directed against women solely because of their gender.

In the United States, a number of organizations are trying to help women who are trying to flee their country to escape this gender-based persecution, using the judicial system to help them get asylum.

Now, legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Congress aims to strengthen current asylum laws for immigrant women, which will be of tremendous assistance to these groups.