Bahrain: Women activists from around the world will gather in Bahrain this week to approve a national strategy to end the country’s sexist nationality law.
They will also discuss discriminatory legislation and challenges facing women across the globe at a two-day meeting organised by the Bahrain Women’s Union (BWU) in co-operation with New-York based advocacy group Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights.
Confirmed speakers include Bahrain Women Association for Human Development director Wajeeha Al Baharna, Catherine Harrington from the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights along with a senior official from the Supreme Council for Women (SCW).
The meeting will be held on February 16 and February 17 at the Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa in Seef District.
“We have close to 15 speakers from America, Egypt, Jordan and GCC countries taking part in this event to be held in Bahrain,” said BWU president Fatima Abuidrees.
“They will extensively debate challenges faced by women in Bahrain and the rest of the world in transferring their citizenship to foreign husbands and children along with other issues.”
Bahrain’s Nationality Law denies unmarried and married women the same rights as men to pass on citizenship to their children.
Ms Abuidrees said regional and global rights groups have been campaigning for equal citizenship rights in several states for decades.
“Many women in Bahrain who are married to non-Bahrainis have been fighting for years to pass on their nationality to their children, but they cannot because of the law that requires an amendment,” she explained.
Exceptions
“There were exceptions made in health care and education for such children by the Bahraini government in the past which we welcome, but it’s time a solid decision is taken on this subject.”
Testimonies from families affected by the law will also be featured in the meeting, which aims to pass an action plan.
Participants will also discuss the issue of women in conflict zones such as Syria, where millions of people are displaced with many having to
give birth in foreign lands at the risk of their children being stateless.
“The aim is to come out with a national strategy at the end of this meeting that can help lawmakers take a decision and help other countries as well,” added Ms Abuidrees.
The GDN reported last month that Bahrain was among 53 countries that have sexist nationality laws, according to a report The State We’re In: Ending Sexism in Nationality Laws, prepared by Equality Now with the assistance of TrustLaw, a division of
the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Vote
Bahrain’s MPs are supposed to vote on a decree that lifts all reservations put in place when Bahrain acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 2002.
These reservations included granting women equal rights in respect to passing on their nationality to their children, as well as gender equality
when it came to people’s freedom to move and choose their home.
The SCW supports the decree, which came into effect in December 2014 after the Cabinet referred the issue to His Majesty King Hamad.
However, parliament’s women and child committee head Roaa’a Al Hayki recommended the decree should be voted down retrospectively and described it as “unIslamic”.
It is not the first time Bahraini MPs have sought to veto the full roll out of
CEDAW, which is the UN convention on defending women’s rights.
At a parliament session in November 2013, all 35 MPs present, including female MPs, unanimously voted against the idea.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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