World Bank: 28 Economies Prevent Women from Passing Nationality to Their Children

 According to the latest World Bank report on Women, Business, and the Law, over one-quarter of global economies still restrict women's rights in passing their nationality to their children. Out of 190 economies covered in the report, 28 countries do not grant women the same rights as men in transmitting citizenship to their children. Additionally, 50 economies prevent women from passing their nationality to foreign spouses on equal terms with men.

The highest discriminatory nationality laws are found in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where 85% of economies do not grant women the same rights as men in passing citizenship to their children and spouses. This is followed by South Asia, where 50% of economies (4 countries) impose similar restrictions, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where 37.7% of economies (17 countries) enforce such limitations.

While most nationality laws do not explicitly address a married woman’s ability to pass citizenship to a foreign spouse, some laws directly discriminate against women in this regard.

Many countries worldwide have taken significant steps to align their nationality laws with international or regional commitments. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, even though the Protocol on the Right to Nationality only came into effect in 2024, discussions surrounding its adoption have triggered a wave of legal reforms since 2013. As a result, countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Madagascar, Lesotho, Malawi, Guinea, Liberia, Benin, and Cape Verde have removed discriminatory provisions from their nationality laws.