Thematic review on the coverage of women in Country of Origin Information (COI) reports

Background and context. Production of Country of Origin Information (COI). Country of Origin Information (COI) is an integral part of asylum decision-making in the UK and is used at all stages of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process to assess applications for refugee status or other forms of international protection (Morgan et al. 2003; IAS 2009; IAS 2010; Tsangarides 2010). It informs decision makers and legal advisers about the political, social, cultural, economic, and human rights situation of a particular country as well as humanitarian situations (Chief Inspector UKBA 2011). COI can enable decision makers to assess if an individual‘s subjective fear is based on objectively adverse circumstances, and therefore whether an asylum claim is well founded. It can also be used to assess the risk for individuals on return to their country of origin.1 The Country of Origin Service (COIS) produces a range of products that focus on human rights issues and matters frequently raised in asylum and human rights claims. They are compiled from material produced by a wide range of external information sources such as the United Nations agencies, human rights organisations, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and news media. Sources of information can include both published and unclassified material.