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