NATIONALITY OF WOMEN

Hawera Star, Volume L, 9 January 1931, Page 4

NATIONALITY OF WOMEN

The question of women’s nationality, around which has centred the most lively interest during the discussions on the codification of international law in the first committee of the Assembly of the League of Nations, is to be transferred with the whole codification question to the Assembly of 1931. This delay has given general satisfaction, since it provides an opportunity for further educational work to bo done by those who desire to see nationality matters settled in a world code upon. the basis of sex equality. It also provides a check to the possibility of ratification of the convention formulated last March at the Conference of the 'Codification of International Law at The Hague. This convention was regarded by women as almost wholly unsatisfactory, in that its provisions relating to women were based upon the broad assumption that a married woman was not an independent individual so far as nationality was concerned, but must follow her husband. So firm has been the opposition to ratification of the convention that many states have refused to consider even the signing of I it, while others have only signed it with reservations, and those women who, under direction of the InterAmerican Commission of Women, went to Geneva in order to follow the progress of discussions of the committee, urged the desirability of referring the matter to a future codification conference. The procedure agreed upon is to send to the Council of the League a report on the position regarding codification as it now T leaves the Assembly. Dr. Owcstes Ferrara, Cuban delegate, > has drawn up a resolution which will! be included in the report to be circulated by the 'Council to all members and non-members of the states for their consideration. Their observations will be incorporated in a further report which will be duly submitted to the Assembly next year.