Overview of nationality laws that do not
grant women equality with men in
conferring nationality on their children
Conferral of nationality by nationals at birth on biological children
The table below uses a color scheme to divide the laws of the 24 States into three categories.
The first group of countries (red) have nationality laws that do not allow mothers who are
nationals at birth to confer their nationality on their biological children with no, or very limited,
exceptions – these laws create the greatest risk of statelessness. The laws of the second group
of countries (orange) allow women to confer nationality in some circumstances. For example,
some make exceptions for mothers to confer nationality if the father is unknown or stateless. In
the country in the third category (yellow), the gender discriminatory provisions are unlikely to
result in statelessness, as nationality can be acquired by application. Finally, the country in the
fourth category (grey) has enacted reform to remove gender discrimination, but the reform has
yet to enter into force.
The Bahamas
Burundi
Jordan
Libya
Oman
Sudan
Bahrain
Eswatini
Kiribati
Malaysia
Qatar
Syria
Barbados
Iran
Kuwait
Mauritania
Saudi Arabia
Togo
Brunei
Darussalam
Iraq
Lebanon
Nepal
Somalia
United Arab
Emirates
Conferral of nationality by parents who acquired nationality later
in life on biological children
The table below categorizes the four countries where women who acquired nationality later
in life cannot confer nationality on their biological children equally with men who acquired
nationality later in life into two groups. The first group of countries (red) have nationality laws
where women who acquired nationality later in life cannot confer nationality on their children
under any circumstances. The nationality laws of the countries in orange allow for women who
acquired nationality later in life to confer nationality under some circumstances, i.e., if the father
has not recognized paternity or if the mother is granted custody of the child.
Burundi
Dominican
Republic
Kiribati
Yemen
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