START UP
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
LINKING DOCUMENTATION TO OTHER ISSUE AREAS
ISSUE
KEY IDEAS FOR MESSAGING
Women’s rights, gender
Women often have less documentation than men, because of cultural
factors, division of labor, or lack of education. Women are often
discriminated against when registering their children. Many countries
prevent women from transmitting their nationality to their children.
Child protection
Birth registration is a child protection tool, ensuring the child’s access
to education, healthcare, and protection from exploitation. In making
this connection, be sure to make it clear that financing documentation
for parents is often the way to protect children, as many countries
require parental ID to register their children. Thus funding should not
be limited to direct registration for minors.
Security, peace, conflict
prevention, anti-extremism
People disenfranchised by a lack of identity may be vulnerable to
radicalization. Whole communities in this situation can become sources
of conflict. Agreements that provide restitution for conflict-affected
populations often include provision of legal identity documentation.
Housing, land, property,
shelter
Undocumented persons may be vulnerable to losing their land or their
homes because a lack of documentation makes it impossible to prove
ownership and rights to tenancy, or seek protections under the law.
Livelihoods, microfinance,
cash transfer
Without documents, individuals are often relegated to the informal
sector and excluded from banking and other financial services. This
is fundamental to most microfinance, community savings, and cash
transfer programs.
Education, child development
Undocumented children are often excluded from schools. Those
who have the right to primary and secondary education may be
barred from enrollment, or face additional obstacles in affording the
cost of education. Therefore your project addresses access to basic
services, access to education and, over time, access to employment
opportunities.
Healthcare
Stateless and undocumented persons may have to pay foreigners’
rates for procedures and medicines, which they can ill afford. Affected
communities tend to have poorer health indicators.
Humanitarian
Where statelessness and exclusion are root causes of conflict,
displacement, or violence, humanitarian funding can be engaged.
38
|
A C O M M U N I T Y- B A S E D P R A C T I T I O N E R ’ S G U I D E : D O C U M E N T I N G C I T I Z E N S H I P A N D OT H E R F O R M S O F L E G A L I D E N T I T Y