Lebanon’s sexist citizenship law hurts mothers and babies

[boston bean]

As Americans celebrate Mother’s Day, many mothers around the world are still fighting for basic rights. In 27 countries they are fighting for the right to pass their nationality on to their children. Lebanon, my home country, is one of them. The United Nations’ refugee agency considers it one of the seven worst countries when it comes to safeguards against statelessness.

“We give life, but we can’t give citizenship?” one mother asked at the latest protest held by the campaign for women’s right to citizenship, My Nationality Is a Right for Me and My Family.

This is a reality for every Lebanese woman. A childhood friend of mine, for example, is in a committed relationship with an Englishman she met in Lebanon. They both live there and hope to for many years. She is Lebanese, but her children will not be.

Nor will my future children, unless I marry a Lebanese man. My brother’s children? They will be Lebanese regardless of their mother’s birthplace.

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/5/lebanons-sexist-citizenship-law-hurts-mothers-and-babies.html

[brer cat]

1. I didn't know this.

"The worst consequence of the current nationality law is that some children can end up stateless. If their mothers hold only Lebanese citizenship and their fathers do not have citizenship (which is the case for many Palestinian refugees) or have lost their documents because of war or have no means to register their children in their home country, then the children will be stateless. As such, they will have no official identity documents, no access to government services, no right of movement and no ability to legally work or live in the country. Being stateless means living without existing. Official estimates of the number of stateless women, men and children in Lebanon vary, but the current consensus seems to be about 200,000."

Thanks for posting, boston bean. K&R

[boston bean]

2. I had no idea either.. Some 27 countries have laws like this...

[brer cat]

3. I think of people who are stateless

as being those dispossessed by war, not by politicians. And of course, only those born where the citizen-mother, not the father, marries a foreigner. There seems to be no end to the ways women are subject to discrimination.