A/78/256 I. Introduction 1. In the present report, which is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/193, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, explores the nexus between violence against women and girls, nationality laws and statelessness. The nationality laws of over 80 countries are considered to be discriminatory. 1 Of that number, almost 50 countries have nationality laws containing gender-discriminatory provisions, including with regard to women’s right to confer nationality on a non -citizen spouse or to acquire, change or retain nationality on an equal basis with men. 2 In 24 countries, nationality laws deny women’s right to confer nationality on their children on an equal basis with men. 3 Gender-discriminatory provisions in nationality laws undermine gender equality. They can also lead to statelessness and cause wide-ranging and multilayered forms of human rights violations, including sexual violence a nd genderbased violence. 2. Statelessness is often a cause and consequence of migration and forced displacement. In 2022, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that there were 4.4 million stateless persons on th e basis of information from 95 countries. 4 The actual figure is likely much higher, as data is only available for fewer than half of all countries; moreover, some countries with known stateless populations do not report data. Persons without identity documents may be unable or unwilling to be protected by their country of nationality and are therefore de facto stateless. At least half of those affected by statelessness are women and girls, and they experience the situation in a distinctively gendered manne r. Statelessness among women and children is a growing concern, given increasing migration flows and the feminization of migration, which result in more mixed marriages. As a result, women’s loss of nationality upon marriage or divorce or their inability to pass on their nationality to their spouse or children may have far-reaching consequences. II. Activities of the Special Rapporteur 3. The activities carried out by the Special Rapporteur during the reporting period are outlined in her thematic report submitted to the Human Rights Council at its fifty third session (A/HRC/53/36). The Special Rapporteur presented that thematic report, entitled “Custody, violence against women and violence against children”, with a focus on parental alienation. She also presented her reports on her country visit to Türkiye (A/HRC/53/36/Add.1) and Libya (A/HRC/53/36/Add.2) at the same session. In preparing the present report, the Special Rapporteur sought contributions from Member States, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), statelessness changemakers, affected persons and other relevant stakeholders. __________________ 1 2 3 4 23-14780 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “Outcome document of the round table on equality and non-discrimination in nationality matters to end statelessness”, 21 October 2021. Submission by Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights. UNHCR, “Background note on gender equality, nationality laws and statelessness 2023”, March 2023. Available at https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/640751284.pdf. UNHCR, “Global trends: forced displacement in 2022”, 14 June 2023. 3/23