17.07.16
The right of mothers to pass their citizenship on to their children has dramatic consequences on the civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights of their children - beginning with their right to a nationality. And this only one among the many discriminations against women in the Law that still exists in countries around the world.
According to the Worldbank’s report Women, Business and the Law 2016, the following countries do not allow married mothers to pass citizenship on to their children as fathers can:
Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza.
In addition to being discriminatory, the unequal treatment of women in Nationality laws is an obstacle to the realization of other rights for them and their children, including:
In 2015, MMM, in cooperation with MMM Liban, has participated in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council where the human rights situation of each member State is periodically assessed by other member States. MMM has called for a change in the Lebanese Nationality Law.
04.03.25
The European Commission’s initiative on a new Gender Equality Roadmap post-2025, marks a significant step forward in addressing gender disparities across the European Union. Make Mothers Matter (MMM
27.01.25
UN New York, UN Commission on Social Development – Register now to our virtual side-event for a discussion on how a more equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work
05.12.24
Make Mothers Matter co-presented the official launch of Be Family in Paris, a movement aimed at bridging the gap between personal and professional life for working parents. This first event,
16.09.25
Make Mothers Matter was recently featured on Belgian public broadcaster RTBF’s Tendances Première radio show to present the findings from our latest report, The State of Motherhood in Europe 2024. The discus
28.08.25
On 22 September 2025, the voices of mothers will take centre stage in Brussels. For the first time, Make Mothers Matter (MMM) will present its State of Motherhood in Europe report at the European Parliament, ur
01.08.25
UN New York – Following the Human Rights Council's 2025 Annual day on the rights of the child – which focussed on Early Childhood Development – a resolution on that same topic will be tabled at the 80th U
29.07.25
UN New York – UN New York – On 16 July, we hosted a side-event at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) titled Unpaid Care at the Core: A Catalyst for Achieving the SDGs. The event aimed to highlight the
14.07.25
UN Geneva - The UN Human Rights Council provides a crucial platform for advocacy and engagement on key human rights issues that affect mothers. This overview highlights MMM’s engagement at the 59th session of
13.07.25
MMM was invited to speak at AGE’s annual conference, which focused on contributing to the EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. The event explored a range of key areas, including the labour market, healt