Karama, with the Arab Women’s Organization, Releases Report on Citizenship Rights in Jordan

Posted on: April 27, 2012, by :

Passport_ENThe Arab Women Organization (AWO), in conjunction with appointed researcher Lamis Nasser, completed a study on the implications of denying women the right to pass on their nationality to children resulting from partnerships with non-Jordanian men. At a ceremony attended by 59 women NGO representatives, seven focal points of the Mosawa coalition, AWO staff and board members, Karama’s Jordan staff, and members of the media and held at the Landmark Hotel in Amman in early October, the results of the study were presented and the full report was launched.

The study titled “Economic, Social, Political, and Psychological Implications on Jordanian Women Married to Non-Jordanians and their Families” analyzes the experiences of women married to non-Jordanian men as shared in focus groups and one-on-one interviews with the researcher. The study included 191 women and revealed deep-seated fears and insecurities regarding the fate of their children. Through the study, it was shown that nearly 94 percent feel guilty regarding the uncertain future of their children due to their lack of Jordanian nationality and entitlement to attached rights and nearly 66 percent feel that depriving their children of Jordanian nationality is a form of discrimination and violence against women and children.

The study looks beyond emotional impact to examine the social, economic, and political effects on women in these marriages, including the consequences of their situation on education, healthcare, labor rights, and general economic status of both women and their children. This research is an integral part of Jordan’s Policy Realm and its project to build the capacity of women’s organizations to monitor the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which is being implemented by the Arab Women Organization with cooperation from Equality Now, the Human Forum for Women’s Rights, and Karama. Jordan’s government ratified CEDAW with reservations to several articles including Article 9, which specifically regards the right of women to transfer her nationality to her children. The joint project and qualitative study is a crucial element in building the case for lifting this reservation as it will be used by the Arab Women Organization and participating NGOs as tool to lobby decision-makers on this point.

Click here to download the English version (PDF)

Attachment Size
Citizenship Report – EN.pdf 378.4 KB
Citizenship Report – AR.pdf 503.55 KB