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Towards gender equal nationality laws - Law reform and
momentum since 2023 - Progress, regress and ones to watch
political barriers, and worked collectively to
advance solutions. The convening resulted
in the development of clear road maps for
multistakeholder action to achieve reforms
and reinforced a growing commitment
across Africa to uphold women’s equal right
to confer nationality on their children.
▶ IPU Global Conference of Women
Parliamentarians 2026
The conference included a breakout session
on “Advancing equality in the law to address
stereotypes and negative social norms,”
facilitated by UN Women, Equality Now and
the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality
Rights. Inspiring women impacted
by discriminatory laws and who have
contributed to reform efforts shared their
strategies with parliamentarians, including in
relation to gender-based violence, nationality
rights and economic empowerment.
Participants were invited to share reform
efforts in their countries, indicate where they
might need support to advance these efforts,
and discuss innovative ways to secure legal
equality, including through multi-pronged,
evidence-based approaches to achieving
legislative wins.
New resources:
Toolkits and
evidence of impact
▶ Legal Atlas on Gender Discrimination in
Nationality Laws, 2026
The Legal Atlas provides a visual overview
highlighting countries with nationality laws
that discriminate on the basis of gender.
Country-specific data for the 24 countries
with nationality laws that deny women the
right to confer nationality on their children
on an equal basis with men, detailing: a)
the status of gender discrimination in the
nationality law with related constitutional
text and obligations under international
law; b) information on laws and policies
that impact children’s access to rights and
services.
▶ A state of belonging - The right to equal
citizenship: A decade of global action for
gender-equal nationality laws (2014 - 2025),
2026
This impact report reflects on Equality
Now’s and the Global Campaign for
Equal Nationality Rights’ (GCENR) work
between 2014 and 2025 to eliminate gender
discrimination in nationality laws. During
this period, the campaign contributed to
18 full and partial nationality law reforms,
while influencing reform efforts in more
than 20 countries. Drawing on coalition
documentation, reform tracking, and lived
experiences, the report examines how
feminist legal advocacy, coalition-building,
and engagement with UN mechanisms have
helped translate gender-equal nationality
rights into enforceable international law and
standards and tangible legal change.
▶ Proposed select draft articles on nationality
rights to ensure gender equality, 2025
This is a legal blueprint to help governments
reform unjust laws and deliver on gender
equality, Sustainable Development Goal 5
(SDG5) and other SDGs, and human rights for
all. Despite decades of progress, more than
45 countries still have laws that deny women
the same rights as men to pass on their
nationality to their children and/or spouses.
These laws often lead to family separation,
statelessness or the threat of statelessness,
and lack of access to education, healthcare,
and employment. We hope States will use
this tool to improve everyone’s lives.
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