Highlighting the Gendered Dimensions of Statelessness in the Asia-Pacific
Date: 17 November 2024
Venue: Prince Palace Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Facilitated by: Subin Mulmi (Nationality for All) and Alicia Dixon (Family Frontiers)
On 17 November 2024, Nationality for All’s Executive Director, Subin Mulmi, and Family Frontiers’ Alicia Dixon co-facilitated a workshop on “Gender and Statelessness” at the Beijing+30 Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.
The session brought together participants from across the Asia-Pacific region to explore how gender-discriminatory nationality laws contribute to and perpetuate statelessness, particularly among women, children, and gender-diverse individuals.
Through interactive discussions and lived experience sharing, the workshop unpacked the gendered implications of statelessness, highlighting how unequal nationality laws intersect with issues of gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender-based violence. Participants reflected on the urgent need to reform laws and policies that deny women and gender minorities equal access to nationality and protection.
Deepening the Gender Lens in Statelessness Advocacy
The session emphasised that addressing statelessness requires an explicitly gender-responsive approach. Statelessness is not only a legal and administrative issue, but also a deeply gendered one, shaping access to education, employment, healthcare, and safety.
Facilitators and participants discussed pathways to strengthen regional advocacy, ensure inclusive participation of impacted persons, and advance gender-equal nationality rights across the Asia-Pacific.
Moving Forward
The workshop underscored the importance of collective action and solidarity among civil society organisations working at the intersections of gender justice and the right to nationality.
Nationality for All extends its gratitude to all participants of the Beijing+30 CSO Forum for their commitment to advancing equality and dignity for all, and to Family Frontiers and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion for their continued partnership in this vital work.
