The ruling by the House of Lords will be of significance to other women seeking refugee status because of persecution based on their sex.

In a hard-hitting judgement, Lord Hoffman said that Shahanna Islam, a graduate trainee schoolteacher from Karachi, faced threats from her husband and his political friends after becoming involved in a political dispute nine years ago.

If she returned home, the police were likely to accept her husband's allegations that she had been unfaithful to him because the evidence of a man was always given more credence than that of a woman.

In the other case, it was accepted that Syeda Shah, who was frequently beaten by her husband and turned out of her home when pregnant, would face threats from her husband if she returned.

Lord Hoffman said the women were entitled to seek asylum under the 1951 Geneva convention because the evidence was that the state would not assist them because they were women.

Hannana Siddiqui, of the group Southall Black Sisters which helped to bring the case, said the judgement should help other women seeking to stay in this country.