Towards gender equal nationality laws - Law reform and momentum since 2023 - Progress, regress and ones to watch 2 Since our July 2023 Update to The state we’re in: Ending sexism in nationality laws, 2022 edition – Update for a disrupted world, which details gender-discriminatory nationality laws around the world and their significant negative impact on women, their families, and society, there have been both positive and negative developments that are highlighted below. We have also included a Call to Action urging all States to meet their obligations under international law by amending or repealing any remaining discrimination in their nationality laws, and calling on other stakeholders to continue supporting these efforts. This update also provides tools and resources, including proposed draft “model” legislation, to help accelerate progress towards achieving gender-equal nationality laws by 2030. Legal reforms Progress ▶ Malaysia: In March 2025, the Malaysian Government officially published Act A1752 Constitution (Amendment) Act 2025, which gives women gender-equal rights to confer citizenship on a child born abroad. This law will give Malaysia’s 16.9 million women and girls greater citizenship rights, in line with those of the male population. However, despite promises to begin implementing this historic amendment by mid-2026, this has yet to take place, and the Government’s website still indicates that it is “NOT YET IN FORCE”. Separately, in a court settlement, the Government agreed to grant citizenship to all pending applications/those born before the amendment (going forward) who are under 18. Momentum and reaffirmation ▶ Bahamas: Equality Now’s update in July 2023 noted that the Attorney General committed to reviewing remaining discrimination in the law following the confirmation by the Privy Council, the final appellate court for The Bahamas, that a child born in The Bahamas out of wedlock to a Bahamian father may acquire citizenship at birth under Article 6 of the Constitution. However, no further action to update the Constitution nor the Nationality Act has been taken by the Government. Equality Bahamas and others continue to call for reform, including regarding gender- discriminatory provisions denying equal access to citizenship for children born to Bahamian fathers outside of The Bahamas and out of wedlock, children born abroad to Bahamian women, and noncitizen spouses of Bahamian women. ▶ Barbados: Constitutional reform is targeted for November 2026, the 60th anniversary of Barbados’ independence or 2027, if further consultations are needed. The Constitutional Commission has called for nondiscrimination and recommends gender neutral language and gender-equal nationality rights in the new Constitution, including the right of citizens to confer nationality on a child or noncitizen spouse on an equal basis. ▶ Pakistan: The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2026, again affirms the right of Pakistani citizens to confer nationality on their children without discrimination on the basis of sex. Gazetted in March 2026, this amendment clarifies the retroactive effect of a previous amendment of the Pakistani Citizenship Act of 1951, passed in 2000, which enshrined for the first time Pakistani women’s right to confer nationality on their children on an equal basis with men.