faces burdensome documentation requirements; or (v) when the father is unwilling to complete these administrative steps. Ensuring gender equality in nationality laws thus helps prevent statelessness and any adverse consequences that may stem from it, including limited access to rights and services, discrimination, and exploitation. It is against this background that UNHCR promotes gender equality in nationality laws as part of its mandate to prevent and reduce statelessness. UN Women is similarly committed to delivering programs, policies, and standards that protect the essential human right to nationality, and, as a result, ensure that every woman and girl can live up to her full potential. This background note is intended as a roadmap for reform, highlighting that a few simple changes can advance sustainable development and eliminate one of the root causes of statelessness. Scope and methodology This background note examines gender discrimination in nationality legislation that prevents women from conferring nationality on their children on an equal basis with men. Before 2025, this analysis was limited to conferral of nationality by parents who are nationals at birth on their biological children. In 2025, the scope was expanded to also include: • Conferral of nationality by parents who became nationals later in life on their biological children • Conferral of nationality by parents on adopted children Given that previous iterations of this background note considered only the first category, UNHCR continues to reference the number of countries where gender discrimination in nationality conferral by biological mothers who are nationals by birth persists – currently standing at 24 – while separately noting the additional countries where other forms of discrimination regarding conferral of nationality on children exist. This background note focuses exclusively on the conferral of nationality on children; however, it is important to recognize that gender-based discrimination in nationality laws extends beyond this issue. Around 45 States do not provide equal rights to men and women concerning the acquisition, change, or retention of nationality upon changes in civil status. However, these aspects fall outside the scope of this background note. The survey is further limited to issues concerning the conferral of nationality on children born as of March 2026. In some cases, States that have amended their laws to ensure equal nationality 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 6 3