In Madagascar, only a father can confer nationality on an adopted child; a mother cannot. In Mauritius, a woman can confer nationality on her adopted child only if she adopts the child as a single parent. In cases of joint adoption, only the father is able to confer nationality. In Somalia, the nationality law does not allow Somali mothers to confer nationality on their children under any circumstances. In contrast, Somali fathers confer nationality at birth on children born in Somalia or abroad. Asia Under Brunei Darussalam’s nationality law, children of Brunei mothers, whether born in the country or abroad, can only obtain nationality through a discretionary application procedure. In contrast, children of Brunei fathers automatically acquire nationality at birth if their birth is registered within six months, regardless of where they are born. Under the nationality law of Iran, children born in Iran or abroad to an Iranian mother and a nonIranian father who are married under Sharia law may be granted nationality upon the mother’s application before the child turns 18. After reaching 18, the child can apply independently. The Government retains discretion to grant or deny these applications. In contrast, children born to Iranian fathers automatically acquire nationality at birth, regardless of where they were born. Under Kiribati’s Constitution, all children born in the country are granted Kiribati nationality, except those who acquire another nationality at birth. However, this exception does not apply to individuals whose father is a Kiribati citizen or who have an ancestor born in Kiribati before 1900; these individuals may hold dual citizenship. Meanwhile, children born abroad acquire Kiribati nationality only if they are born in wedlock to Kiribati fathers or out of wedlock to Kiribati mothers. Additionally, under the nationality law, naturalized women cannot pass their nationality to their children, whereas naturalized Kiribati men can. Finally, a Kiribati woman can confer nationality on her adopted child only if she adopts as a single parent. In cases of joint adoption, only the father is able to confer nationality. In December 2024, the Senate of Malaysia passed a constitutional amendment bill to allow Malaysian women to confer nationality on their children born abroad, ensuring equal rights with men in this regard. The reform will take effect upon receiving royal assent and publication in the Gazette. While Nepal’s Constitution and nationality law state that a person can acquire citizenship by descent if either parent is a Nepali citizen, other discriminatory legal provisions in these same legislative documents significantly restrict women’s ability to confer their nationality. The Constitution and nationality law stipulate that children of Nepali women married to foreign men—whether born in Nepal or abroad—can only obtain citizenship through naturalization, provided they have not acquired their father’s nationality. However, many such applications 14 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 5