14th July 2023

2023 update: Progress on ending sexism in nationality laws since July 2022

Our 2016 report on discriminatory nationality laws, submitted to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, documents a wide range of harmful consequences and calls on governments to eliminate all discrimination against women in the transmission of their nationality to their husbands and children. It highlights countries where women do not have the same rights as men to convey their nationality, resulting in considerable hardship for the families concerned.

In 2022, we released an updated report, The State We’re In: Ending Sexism in Nationality Laws 2022 Edition – Update for a Disrupted World.

Download your file

Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)
Your name(Required)

Key recommendations

Progress since July 2022: Following the publication of our advocacy report in early July 2022, there has been some positive advancement in addressing sex discriminatory laws at the national level, in tandem with the ongoing worldwide movement to eliminate all discrimination within nationality laws.

Explore more resources

1

2

3

Exploring the interlinkages between child marriage and family laws in South Asia

Equality Now’s report examines how gaps in child marriage and family laws across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives expose girls to harm and require urgent legal reform.

Legal response to sexual violence in Pakistan: Challenges in enforcement and access to justice

Equality Now’s report analyses gaps in Pakistan’s rape laws and justice system response, with recommendations to strengthen enforcement and survivor access to justice.

Progress and backlash: Accountability for the rights of women and girls – Words and Deeds update, March 2026

A global update mapping legal progress and rising backlash against women’s and girls’ rights, with recommendations to strengthen accountability and protect hard-won gains.

Newsletter Sign-up

Make a donation

I want to donate