What is the main problem the project is seeking to address? In Bahrain and Kuwait, individuals and families continue to face challenges related to nationality and legal identity, particularly due to gender discrimination in nationality laws, nationality revocation, and long-term statelessness among Bidun communities. These challenges affect access to rights and services and contribute to social exclusion. In Bahrain, women are still unable to pass their nationality to their children on an equal basis with men leaving many children and families at risk of statelessness and without equal access to rights. The stateless Bidun population in Kuwait continues to face barriers to documentation, participation, services and pathways to resolve their status. In both Bahrain and Kuwait, the revocation or loss of nationality has left individuals and their families without legal identity or protection mechanisms. While these issues persist, affected persons and community advocates have limited opportunities for safe engagement, coordination, and advocacy. There are few protection-oriented spaces where affected individuals can share experiences, access information, or connect with national, regional, and international partners. This project responds to these gaps by focusing on protection, participation, and inclusion, strengthening community engagement, building awareness, and promoting cooperation to advance equal nationality rights and durable solutions for all affected persons.

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What is the main change the project seeks to achieve? The project aims to strengthen the protection, visibility, and participation of stateless persons, those affected by discrimination in nationality laws in Bahrain and Kuwait, while contributing to national, regional, and global advocacy efforts toward the realization of the right to nationality. Building on SALAM DHR’s three interlinked campaigns, My Mother My Nationality, Ana Bahraini, and Ana Kuwaiti, the project will enhance awareness, community engagement, and advocacy for equal nationality rights through: • Safe spaces for affected individuals to share experiences, access information, and connect with statelessness and nationality rights networks. • Capacity building activities to strengthen knowledge of rights, available local remedies, and local and international frameworks. • Documentation and advocacy activities, including collecting testimonies and producing reports to inform engagement with relevant stakeholders, including national human rights institutions. • Regional and international coordination, linking local voices with international and regional partners. • Using UN mechanisms and opportunities to document nationality-related discrimination, promote local reform, and enhance protection for stateless persons and those at risk. • Leadership of affected people, ensuring they play an active role in designing, leading, and co-leading advocacy and coordination efforts related to statelessness and discrimination in nationality laws. • Awareness-raising and outreach activities to foster understanding of nationality and statelessness issues and highlight good practices. The expected change is a more informed and empowered community, better connected to protection mechanisms and able to engage constructively in advocacy for reform. By linking grassroots engagement with regional and international action, the project will help sustain visibility.

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Who are the key partners? Key partners include: Northern Arabia’s Surviving Indigeneity (NASI) - Global Alliance member, Bahrain Forum for Human Rights - Global Alliance member, Bahrain Human Rights Society (non-member)

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Who is the target population for this project? PrimaryStateless persons, including long-term stateless communities and individuals who lack nationality documentation or recognition in Bahrain and Kuwait; People affected by discrimination in nationality laws, particularly Bahraini women who cannot confer nationality to their children on an equal basis with men, and their children. People affected by nationality revocations, including those who have lost their nationality in Bahrain and Kuwait and face barriers in accessing rights, services, and protection.

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OtherCommunity advocates, youth, and civil society actors in Bahrain and Kuwait supporting inclusive engagement, awareness, and dialogue on nationality and statelessness; National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in Bahrain and Kuwait, as potential partners and stakeholders in awarenessraising, documentation, and coordination efforts to enhance protection; Regional and international partners, including UN agencies, academic institutions, and networks working to end statelessness and promote equal nationality rights.

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Funding and costs What is the total cost of this project?50,000 USD

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How much funding is needed?50,000 USD

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