Under the Lebanese nationality law, a Lebanese mother can only confer her nationality on her child if the child is born out of wedlock and she is the first to legally recognize the child. By contrast, a Lebanese father can confer his nationality on his children in all situations, though in cases where the child is born out of wedlock the father still needs to legally recognize the child. Under the nationality law of Libya, a Libyan mother can confer nationality on her children only in limited circumstances. While in principle a child born in Libya to a Libyan mother and an unknown or stateless father, or a father whose nationality is unidentified, can acquire Libyan nationality on a discretionary basis, the practical ability of these provisions is unclear. This discretionary grant of citizenship may also be available to the children of Libyan mothers and non-Libyan fathers, but the status of the law and its implementation is uncertain. In contrast, Libyan fathers can confer nationality on their children automatically, regardless of whether they are born inside or outside Libya. According to the nationality law of Mauritania, children born in Mauritania to Mauritanian mothers and foreign fathers are automatically granted nationality.6 Additionally, Mauritanian mothers automatically confer nationality on their children if the father is unknown or stateless, regardless of the child’s place of birth. Children born abroad to Mauritanian mothers and foreign fathers can obtain Mauritanian nationality only by opting for it during the year before reaching majority. By contrast, children born to Mauritanian fathers, whether in Mauritania or abroad, automatically acquire nationality at birth, with no such conditions or limitations. No distinction is made in the Mauritanian nationality framework between the right of naturalized Mauritanian men and women to confer their nationality on their children. The nationality law of Oman permits Omani mothers to confer nationality on their children only under specific conditions. A child born in Oman or abroad to an Omani mother is eligible for Omani nationality if the father has not established filiation or if the father was an Omani national who is now stateless. Additionally, a child born to an Omani mother and a foreign father may apply for naturalization only if the mother is widowed, divorced for five years, or has been abandoned by her foreign husband for at least ten years. The child must also have resided in Oman continuously for a minimum of five years in case the mother is widowed or got divorced and ten years in case the father abandoned the family, along with meeting other legal requirements. 6 Children born in Mauritania to Mauritanian mothers and foreign fathers can renounce their nationality in the year before reaching majority, even if this results in statelessness. This provision was originally intended to prevent dual nationality. However, a 2021 legal reform now allows Mauritanians to retain dual nationality, eliminating the requirement to renounce Mauritanian nationality upon naturalization in another country. While the provision on renouncing nationality remains in the nationality law, it falls outside the scope of this paper and, in practice, is understood to not be a cause of statelessness in the Mauritanian context. U N H C R > B A C K G R O U N D N O T E O N G E N D E R E Q U A L I T Y, N AT I O N A L I T Y L A W S A N D S TAT E L E S S N E S S 2 0 2 5 11