CAPN made a joint submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), advocating for gender-equal nationality laws.

CEDAW is a crucial international convention that sets standards for women’s rights and promotes gender equality to ensure women around the world fully participate in all areas of life. CEDAW is a guiding principle for countries in reviewing and reforming national laws to eliminate discrimination, ensuring alignment with international human rights standards and promoting gender equality in practice.

However, Nepal is yet to ensure gender equality in nationality laws which impacts women and girls, particularly from marginalized communities.

In this submission, CAPN called for legal reforms to ensure equal citizenship rights for women and inclusive birth registration. The submission also highlights the impact women and girls face as citizenship laws in Nepal are yet to be gender equal. Moreover, the submission presents key opportunities to strengthen Nepal’s legal framework by aligning nationality laws with international human rights standards while uplifting vulnerable communities through inclusive reforms.

This collaborative initiative demonstrates our shared vision for a more equitable Nepal where every individual can fully exercise their right to citizenship and feel a true sense of belongingness.