AWO Statement: Impact of COVID on families affected by gender-discriminatory nationality laws in Jordan

Statement by Arab Women Organization, a coalition member of the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights

In Jordan, families are affected by the gender-discriminatory nationality law. Gender-discrimination stems from the current discriminatory nationality law. According to the law, women who marry non-Jordanians are not given the right to pass their nationality to spouses or to their children even if the mother becomes a widow or a divorcee. This type of discrimination against women had been emphasized by the government of Jordan in 2007, by placing reservation against Article 9 of CEDAW (UN Convention) specialized for giving the right of all women to pass their nationality to spouses and children.

During the COVID 19 crisis, the government of Jordan emphasized this type of discrimination against women if married to non-Jordanians by requesting ID numbers to pass Food Packages to affected families. ID numbers are a privilege to those with a Jordanian citizenship. Children of Jordanian mothers are given a different type of serial numbers and different color of IDs. Those are not allowed to submit for assistance during the pandemic.

During the COVID 19 crisis, daily workers are negatively affected. As the majority of the children of Jordanian mothers married non-Jordanians are not holders of IDs, they rely on daily work given illegally by the private sector. Daily workers are the most needy breadwinners in this crisis.