Nationality Rights
In roughly a quarter of countries around the world, women face legal discrimination in nationality laws. Nationality laws in 24 countries deny women the right to confer citizenship on their child on an equal basis with men. More than 40 countries deny women the right to confer citizenship on a non-citizen spouse (stateless or foreign) on an equal basis with men. These laws harm families and undermine women’s equal citizenship. This gender discrimination results in wide-ranging human rights violations, contributes to statelessness and gender-based violence, and hinders access to education, health care, and other services. The Women’s Refugee Commission houses the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, which mobilizes international action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws.
