Women citizens of The Bahamas may confer nationality to children born in the country on an equal basis with men. Women do not have the right to confer nationality to their children born abroad. Additionally, women do not have the right to confer their nationality to foreign spouses, a right that is reserved for men.
Despite the efforts of women's rights activists, including Global Campaign coalition member Citizens for Constitutional Equality, and many government leaders, a June 2016 referendum to amend the Constitution of The Bahamas, which would have enshrined gender equal nationality rights and banned discrimination on the basis of sex, failed. The failure of the referendum only serves to highlight the significant attention and hard work required in The Bahamas and worldwide to achieve gender equality.
National Coalition Member:
Citizens for Constitutional Equality (CCE) is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, civil society network of NGOs and women’s groups that support the vision of constitutional equality for women and men in The Bahamas. Formed in August 2014 on a strong human rights mandate to ensure that the voice of civil society informs preparations for the constitutional referendum, the CCE conducts public education and advocacy to support the advancement of equal rights in the Bahamas.
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