The Women's Learning Partnership joins with regional partners in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco to launch the Citizenship Campaign that calls for: Legal reform enabling women to confer their nationality to their husbands and children without condition; Full implementation of reformed nationality laws and equal access to these laws for all women; Recognition of women as equal citizens in all areas of life.
I am writing in regards to the nationality issue in Egypt as it pertains to Egyptian women marrying Palestinian men. Egypt’s new Nationality Law No. 154 of 2004 states that whoever is born of an Egyptian mother is Egyptian. This law has applied to all Egyptian women married to non-Egyptian men except the Egyptian women who marry Palestinians.
Continue Reading | Posted by WLP on March 14th, 2008
My name is Nawal Al-Chartouni Thomas, (known Nina). I have two daughters of my previous two marriages. Both of my daughters are British citizens by birth. 6 Years ago, I married an American, namely Michial Brent Thomas, in Beirut. My daughters lived in Lebanon for ten years and had to leave JUST because I was unable to give them the Lebanese nationality.
Continue Reading | Posted by WLP on December 16th, 2007
As an American woman married to a Moroccan man (which I believe makes me a citizen of Morocco), I support equality laws in Morocco and other countries. Because I am a citizen of Morocco by marriage and my children will be citizens of Morocco and the United States, I think it is important for all of them to have equal rights within Morocco, I am personally concerned with equal rights for all within not only Morocco, but all of the other nations that have different laws for men and women.
Carson Sabir
United States
Posted by WLP on November 11th, 2007
I am a single mother with two children who were born and lived all their life in Lebanon, they are university graduates but cannot work and are denied of all their rights. I will keep on fighting for their rights until the day I die.
Mona Haddad
Lebanon
Posted by WLP on October 24th, 2007
This is an excellent initiative. I fully endorse the campaign especially that as a Lebanese married to a Syrian, I could not confer my nationality on my late husband and my three children who were born and raised in Lebanon.
Fatima Sbaity Kassem
Columbia University
United States
Posted by WLP on October 18th, 2007
I’m 25 years old, born in Iran and married to an Iranian woman, but I can’t have Iranian citizenship.
Refugee status comes through two conditions, either based on soil or based on blood. There are now many people in Iran who have both conditions, but still are not considered Iranian.
Continue Reading | Posted by sara on August 14th, 2007
As a woman in an Arab society, your options and choices in life are limited. However, as a Palestinian woman, with no legal evidence of your citizenship, as well as a single parent, your choices and options are almost non-existent. Everyday I live in fear of losing my children and wonder if they will have food and shelter the next day.
Continue Reading | Posted by WLP on July 17th, 2007
My family is originally from Palestine. However, while growing up, I lived in many places. I lived in Kuwait, Jordan, and Qatar. I loved traveling, meeting new people, and experiencing life. It made me feel alive. However, one day while I was visiting a friend in Kuwait, I met a Palestinian guy. After getting to know each other for several months we decided to get married and move to Palestine. Back then, I thought I was taking my first step into happiness. However, time would prove otherwise.
Continue Reading | Posted by WLP on June 27th, 2007
I am struggling to get the Moroccan nationality from my mother. I am Lebanese and willing to marry a foreigner. I want my child to remember his Arab roots both Lebanese and Moroccan. It is a beautiful blend.
Adonis El Hakim
Lebanon
Posted by WLP on June 1st, 2007
The new modified Nationality Code was released in the official bulletin on April 2, 2007. I did not read it until today– It was Madame Mezaldi who pointed it out to me. There was a meeting between the interior ministers who decided to put an end to the procedures, in order to make the process simpler.
Continue Reading | Posted by rabea lemrini on May 3rd, 2007