Suriname
Legal gender discrimination
Until 2014, Suriname’s 1975 Law on Nationality and Residence did not allow mothers to confer their nationality to their children and spouses. This meant that children born within marriage but outside Suriname were unable to acquire nationality from their mothers, leading to a risk of child statelessness.
Promising Practices
In 2014, Suriname reformed its 1975 Law on Nationality and Residence to achieve gender equal nationality rights. The amendment allowed mothers to confer their nationality to their children and spouses. It also introduced safeguards to prevent statelessness due to loss of nationality. Additionally, a gap in the previous nationality law was closed that had meant children born within marriage but outside Suriname were unable to acquire nationality from their mothers.
