The focus of this research is on female applicants seeking international protection and how the refugee definition has been interpreted in light of their situation throughout the years. The research also discusses the most recent gender equality legislation that was passed in the Icelandic parliament in 2020 and the obligations it places on the administrative authorities when it comes to gender mainstreaming. It considers the extent to which the legislation has, or should have, an impact on the administrative proceedings in those cases as well as any need for reforms. It includes a comparative case study on the other Nordic countries and Canada. This research focuses on refugee law, administrative law, equality law and critical legal theory (especially feminist legal theory).
The project is the researcher’s doctoral project and received a grant from the Icelandic Gender Equality Fund in 2021. It also received the McGill Graduate Excellence Award grant from 2019-2022.