Grant Recipient: Class of 2012
Major: American Studies
Organization: Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Location: San Francisco, CA
The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS) at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law is working to change the legal definition of asylum applicants such that women fleeing severe forms of gender-based persecution – such as sex trafficking, honor killings, domestic violence, and FGC – can find safe haven in the United States. As an undergraduate intern, I have done country conditions research on child abuse and incest in El Salvador, forced marriage and widow inheritance in Zimbabwe, and FGC in Kenya and Mali. I am also following up with attorneys who have received technical assistance from CGRS – because most immigration decisions in this country are unpublished, tracking the progression of these cases allows CGRS to monitor trends in U.S. refugee law. I am fortunate to have had this exposure to international human rights law before I begin to think seriously about applying to law school.
