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Children become a driving force for ending statelessness

Statelessness is a global challenge. According to UNHCR estimations, there are more than ten million statelessness persons in the world. Due to absence of any identity documents, they are deprived of basic human rights, having limited access to education, medical services and employment. Statelessness has terrifying impact on both genders, making them vulnerable, unhappy, unable to use their basic human rights, and putting in a position of becoming possible victims of discrimination. However,  experience of meeting stateless persons in Central Asia, shows that females are often more vulnerable to statelessness and face more challenges in finding solutions.

The place of a woman in Central Asian in rural areas, where statelessness prevails, is usually strictly determined.  Most commonly, women get only basic primary education, and at the age of 16-18 they are ready to marry. After marriage, they take care of their children and house. Their life is very simple, and staying at home does not require having any identity documents. However, more and more woman become more conscious about their present and future of their children.

Aida Musayeva, is among those women. She was born in Naryn Oblast of Kyrgyzstan, and has only basic primary education. When she married in her twenties, she moved to the place of her husband, Ivanovka village, Chu Oblast. She was not married officially, having only religious registration, which is not considered legal on the territories of the Central Asian countries. Aida does not even have a birth certificate, which was not given to her parents due to lack of identity documents of her mother. Her mother lost her soviet passport many years ago and was not able to recover it. Now, her statelessness situation affected the next generation – Aida’s five children also do not have any identity documents.

“I do not exist at all without documents. It is a never-ending circle. I lost all my hopes to find a way out, before I learned about the project in August 2014.” – said Aida. She collected all necessary documents and already received her passport in July 2015. She registered her marriage a week after receiving identity documents, and consequently all her children received birth certificates. Moreover, she found a good job in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.

“I am very happy that finally my children have documents, and became citizens of their country. I am proud that now I am independent and do not need to be afraid of anything, having access to all the rights and possibilities” – underlines Aida.

Living without documents is a big stress for undocumented persons, and for women it even intensifies their vulnerability, making them a subject of possible discrimination. In the majority of cases, children become a driving force, which makes woman to apply for documents and put an end to the circle of statelessness.