Global Youth Summit:
Youth Strengthening Movements
for Gender Equality in Nationality Laws
The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights (GCENR) held the first Youth Summit on Gender Equality in Nationality Laws from 10-11 July 2024, in Istanbul, Turkiye. The Summit brought together 27 participants including youth activists from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. 16 countries, including 12 with gender-discriminatory nationality laws (GDNL) were represented.[1] Through a variety of capacity building sessions, the Summit facilitated the sharing of learnings and experiences among youth from different countries, strengthened and built new relationships among youth champions, and empowered youth to lead advocacy efforts for gender-equal nationality laws. .
As a result, the GCENR Youth Network was strengthened and plans for youth-led advocacy initiatives were developed, contributing to a more sustainable and impactful youth movement dedicated to achieving gender equality in nationality laws.
Youth at the Summit
Summit Key Highlights
- At the “Youth Café,” participants shared their work, stories, experiences, and motivations in championing gender-equal nationality rights, in a free-flowing conversation.
- In sessions on international advocacy, youth participants explored how to push for reforms through UN mechanisms, including Human Rights Council resolutions, Special Rapporteur reports, and CEDAW & CRC recommendations.
- At Taksim Park, we envisioned a world where every child has a right to nationality without discrimination and women are recognized as equal citizens. The exercise fueled determination to turn this vision into reality.
- Workshop sessions turned ideas into action! Youth role-played advocacy meetings, brainstormed multimedia campaigns, and explored creative activism tactics like public demonstrations and storytelling to challenge discriminatory nationality laws.
In sessions on international advocacy, youth participants explored how to push for reforms through UN mechanisms, including Human Rights Council resolutions, Special Rapporteur reports, and CEDAW & CRC recommendations.
At Taksim Park, we envisioned a world where every child has a right to nationality without discrimination and women are recognized as equal citizens. The exercise fueled determination to turn this vision into reality.
Workshop sessions turned ideas into action! Youth role-played advocacy meetings, brainstormed multimedia campaigns, and explored creative activism tactics like public demonstrations and storytelling to challenge discriminatory nationality laws.
Murals: Visual Representation of Impact and Change
In two murals, youth participants expressed their thoughts and emotions about nationality laws. These murals served as visual representations of participants’ perspectives, providing a backdrop to discussions throughout the summit and serving as a powerful reminder of participants’ motivations and commitment to the cause for gender equal nationality rights.
What does discrimination in nationality laws make you think/feel?
What does a world with gender-equal nationality laws mean to you?
Youth on Gender Discrimination in Nationality Laws:
Youth Voices
Nokuthula, Eswatini
Melinda, Malaysia
Zeina, Lebanon
Dehma, Mauritania
Stefania, Italy
Aicha, Mauritania
Mpumalanga, Eswatini
Sarah, Malaysia
Support the movement for gender equal nationality laws now by:
- Signing the Youth Statement on Gender Equal Nationality Laws and sharing the Youth Statement with your network for signatures!
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Following GCENR on social media and sharing our advocacy campaigns, call online for gender equal nationality rights now.
🔗 Use our Social Media Toolkit and share the message!
- Joining grassroots efforts in your country to end gender discrimination in nationality laws! Follow us to know more about our coalition members’ work. Contact us at: gcenr@wrcomission.org to know more.
Let us work hand in hand to build a world where no one is denied their right to belong and no woman is denied equal citizenship.
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Achieving the Beijing Declaration’s 30-Year Goals Requires Gender-Equal Nationality Rights today
As we mark International Women’s Day 2025 and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Equality Now, the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UN Women are calling for expedited action to end gender discrimination in nationality laws and recommit to efforts to achieve gender-equal nationality rights around the globe.
يتطلب تحقيق أهداف الثلاثين عاماً لإعلان بيجين المساواة بين الجنسين في حقوق الجنسية اليوم
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A Victory in the Fight for Women’s Equal Citizenship in Malaysia
In a significant step towards ending gender discrimination in nationality laws, Malaysia’s upper house of parliament (Dewan Negara) unanimously voted on December 3, 2204 in favor of a bill, passed by lower house of parliament (Dewan Rakyat) on October 17, to amend Malaysia’s Constitution to uphold women’s right to confer nationality on children born abroad on an equal basis with men. The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights celebrates this victory for justice and women’s equal citizenship in Malaysia. This achievement would not have been realized without the relentless campaign led by our dear coalition member Family Frontiers, alongside a courageous group of impacted mothers and their families.
[1] Countries that discriminate against mothers in their ability to confer nationality on their children*: The Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei, Burundi, Eswatini, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia*, Mauritania, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Togo, United Arab Emirates. Click here for more information.
* In October 2024, Malaysia’s lower house (Dewan Rakyat) passed a landmark bill eliminating discrimination against women in nationality laws. This new legislation grants Malaysian women the right to pass their nationality to their children on an equal basis with men. The bill was subsequently passed by the Senate (Dewan Negara) in December 2024 and is now awaiting official gazettement by the council of rulers to take effect.