FOREWORD All countries have committed to gender equality, including in their citizenship laws. Indeed, they are required to provide equal nationality rights by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Sustainable Development Goals, and in most cases by their own constitutions. Too many governments, a quarter of the world, however, have simply decided, including through inaction, that a woman should not enjoy the same rights as a man to pass on her citizenship to her children or her foreign spouse, or to change or keep it. Now picture being born with your rightful citizenship, secure in the knowledge that it cannot be taken away from you. And that one day you will be able to pass on your nationality to your children and spouse, so that they too can enjoy their human rights and access the same freedoms, benefits and services to which we are all entitled. Nationality laws need not be complex, and the solution is actually very simple - governments should dismantle sexist laws and give everyone the same nationality rights today. This updated report from Equality Now, reflecting women’s intersecting realities and the devastating impact of the sex discriminatory nationality laws on people’s lives, alongside a record of inspiring progress being made in some countries and regions, is a timely and important tool for governments, lawmakers and advocates seeking to bring their vision of gender and generational equality to life. Women, their families and the world, cannot afford to wait. We must all come together to achieve our collective vision of full legal equality for all. Dear Friends, Everyone has the right to be born with a nationality – anywhere in the world – and to be secure in their human right to equally acquire, change, retain or transfer it, as provided for under international law. There is no good reason why almost 50 countries should still have sexist discriminatory nationality and citizenship laws which discriminate against women, potentially putting them and their families in danger. If governments make this a priority, this is something we can fix in a very short time, and the world will become a safer, more equal and more prosperous place for all. Picture being born without a nationality or to be denied the citizenship of your mother, or, at times, your father. Imagine the struggle to get access to education, health, jobs, voting, and other human rights, benefits and services, such as access to driver’s licenses, that most citizens take for granted. Unfortunately, this is the reality for too many women and their families. All countries have committed to gender equality, including in their citizenship laws. Indeed, they are required to provide equal nationality rights by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Sustainable Development Goals, and in most cases by their own constitutions. YASMEEN HASSAN Global Executive Director, Equality Now CHADIA EL MEOUCHI Co-Chair, Global Board, Equality Now THE STATE WE’RE IN: ENDING SEXISM IN NATIONALITY LAWS - 2022 EDITION | 5