CANADIAN LAW

Should the person/s described below be accepted as a Convention Refugee (s. 96 of the IRPA)? May refer to Interpretation of Convention Refugee and Person in Need of Protection in the Case Law - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (irb-cisr.gc.ca)

Naima identifies as a Muslim - Nyandaruan woman in a Muslim-majority country and is pursuing a master's degree in women's studies. Her master's thesis is on educating young Muslim women about birth control. Her recruitment posters for research participants were routinely vandalised by members of a conservative religious sect. During her field research one evening while she was interviewing a group of young Muslim women, a group of men rode by in motorcycles and threw a brick through the window yelling "stop corrupting Muslim women". Due to threats and intimidation, some of her research participants were scared to continue working on this research project and dropped out. Naima was advised by her supervisor to change her thesis topic after the government revoked a grant that she had received from the university due to "funding shortages". Despite these hurdles, Naima was able to publish her work and was selected to present her research at an international conference in Toronto. While at the conference, she received a prestigious research award that generated substantial media attention back home in Nyandarua. Naima's parents have been receiving intimidating death threats and have told Naima she should not return home.