This inability, especially of women, to pass on citizenship to spouses or children can have grave consequences for both them and their families, Equality Now report says
Bangladesh News Desk: A new report published by Equality Now has pointed out that in Bangladesh there is no special provision which allows married women to pass citizenship to foreign spouses, unlike married men.
According to the law in Bangladesh, a married woman cannot pass citizenship to a foreign spouse on an equal basis with a married man. The residency requirement for foreign wives has been reduced to two years as opposed to five, but there has been no change for foreign husbands.
Section 10 of the Citizenship Act, 1951 states that any woman who by reason of her marriage to a British subject before the first day of January, 1949, has acquired the status of a British subject shall, if her husband becomes a citizen of Bangladesh, be a citizen of Bangladesh.
The report also found that discriminatory nationality laws remain in 49 countries – accounting for 25% of United Nations member states.
A total of 46 countries prevent women from passing citizenship to their spouses on an equal basis with men.
Nationality laws in 28 countries prevent women from passing citizenship to their children on an equal basis with men.
The report warned that the inability, largely of women, to pass on their citizenship to their spouses or their children can have grave consequences for both them and their families, including statelessness, fear of deportation of children and spouse and family separation, the additional vulnerability of girls to early and forced marriages, increased vulnerability of women in abusive marriages, difficulties for women in claiming child custody/access to divorce, lack of access to publicly funded medical services and national health insurance, lack of access to social benefits, inability to register personal properties and inherit family properties, limited freedom of movement, including overseas travel, limited access to jobs, economic opportunities and financial services.
Equality Now is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992 to advocate for the protection and promotion of the rights of women and girls.
