Every woman irrespective of whom she marries has the right to citizenship, which is the most fundamental of all human rights, the President of the Bahrain Women’s Society, Dr Wajiha Baharna, said yesterday. She was addressing a meeting at the society in Adliya yesterday. The meeting was the first for Bahraini women married to foreigners and was attended by around 70 women.
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 28th, 2006
This article looks at the impetus for the nationality campaign in Bahrain and examines the two new propsosed draft laws to reform the current nationality laws.
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 28th, 2006
The concept of citizenship is a central and mandatory concept for the modern nation state and is thus essential for any discussion of governance and gender. The concept of citizenship entails a direct and legal relationship between the individual and the state, a relationship that carries with it obligations and enforceable rights as defined by juridical processes.
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 28th, 2006
Can anyone tell me what will happen to my two year-old child when his visa won’t be renewed? Can anyone feel the mother’s pain here?
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 25th, 2006
Conflict, the need to earn a livelihood, and other factors lead to international migration. Statistics on migration to and from Arab countries are rare, but the existing data shows that the number of women married to foreigners has dramatically increased.
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 25th, 2006
“When an Arab State sees that another has reformed its nationality law for example, it is immediately encouraged to do the same. Thus, it is a great opportunity to discuss obstacles and challenges with regional partners, draw attention to common issues and possible course of action, as well as being informed on relevant changes and solutions adopted in other countries, such as Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco.” In an interview with WLP, Wajeeha Al Baharna, President of the Bahrain Women’s Society (BWS), discusses the goals and strategy of the Bahrain campaign for women’s nationality rights.
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 25th, 2006
Now he has to leave Syria every three months, though this is where he belongs. This is where he was born and where all his memories of childhood and adolescence lie.
Continue Reading | Posted by siobhan on August 25th, 2006
Women’s struggle for both equality and national liberation are crucial to democracy: if a democratic state is one in which citizens have the right to participate in society and the way it is governed, women must, automatically, be included in the equation. Yet in many so-called democratic states, women lack full citizenship.
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 25th, 2006
“The children of Bahraini mothers or fathers should have the right to Bahraini citizenship. It would be a violation of the Constitution if they are denied citizenship and Bahraini passports.” - Amira Isa, a member of the Bahrain campaign team
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 25th, 2006
“We want to change just two words of this law to say ‘a child is born Lebanese of a Lebanese father or mother,’ just two words,” - Roula Masri, gender program officer, Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD-A), Lebanon
Continue Reading | Posted by christina on August 25th, 2006