GENEVA: Despite some progress, 24 countries still retain nationality laws that deny women the right to pass their citizenship on to their children, while almost 50 countries prevent women from conferring nationality on their spouse on an equal basis with men, the United Nations (UN) said Tuesday.
At the Global Summit on Gender Equality in Nationality Laws held on Tuesday in Geneva, government, civil society and UN agency leaders called for expedited action to end gender-based discrimination in nationality laws that deny people the equal right to acquire and confer nationality on their children and spouses, reported Xinhua.
Participants stressed that gender-discriminatory nationality laws undermine women’s status as equal citizens and their equality in the family, and are also a root cause of statelessness.
“When a state allows gender discrimination in its nationality laws, it is implicitly endorsing the notion of women as inferior and possessing second-class citizenship. Laws that discriminate and deny women equal rights with men betray their trust in society and signal that gender discrimination is acceptable, normal, and expected,” said Adriana Quinones, director of UN Women’s liaison office in Geneva.
Participants also underlined that gender equality in nationality laws is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, to build inclusive societies, and resolve statelessness.
“Without nationality, children are not protected and may be denied access to education, healthcare, family unity, and the ability to pursue their aspirations,” said Marc Rubin, the deputy regional director of the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
