MARRIED WOMEN

Wairarapa Daily Times, 20 January 1933, Page 4

MARRIED WOMEN

NATIONALITY PROBLEM. A CRUEL INJUSTICE. (Contributed). In connection with the problem of the nationality of a married woman, a recent case in Gloucester, England, lias aroused much indignation. An Englishwoman who married an American has been fined for failing to register as an alien. She has been urged to go to prison rather than to pay the fine.

In another case a British woman married a German in 1912; two years afterwards - lier husband was interned in England, and sho was deported to Berlin where she nearly starved, till aNorwegian helped her. At the end of the Avar her husband divorced her and she married tho Norwegian sailor who became a naturalised American and divorced her. The American authorities claim she is now a British subject again, but according to English law she is an American still. Anyway she and her children have no legal rights in any country and nothing is before her but starvation or suicide. As Mrs Chatfield says, something like 45,000,000 women from 40 different countries have petitioned for something better but half a dozen men at Geneva (League of Nations) refused, giving no reasons. A few months ago a private member introduced a bill into the New Zealand Parliament with the object of protecting N.Z. women and their children from this cruel injustice. The Women’s National Welfare League wrote to Mi- G. R. Sykes asking for particulars before asking him to support the bill. These particulars may interest the women of Masterton who are urged to do what they can to help the many unfortunate British women who lose their nationality without their consent and sometimes -without their knowledge. Tho following letter has been received from Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P., from the Hon. A. Hamilton (Minister of Internal Affairs): —- In reference to the letter addressed to you by Mrs S. N. Kilgour, hon. secretary of the Women’s National Welfare League, Masterton, regarding the nationality of married women, I have to advise that the existing law, in general terms,, is that the wife of a British subject is deemed to be a British subject, and the wife of an alien is deemed to be an alien. Of recent years there has been a tendency in foreign countries not to confer national status by virtue- of marriage which has resulted in numbers of women becoming stateless, and this undesirable factor lias been given very considerable thought by the nations of the world. Arising out of the Hague Nationality Convention of April, 1920, the countries comprising the League of Nations have investigated the problem, and have recommended the following articles for ratification: —(1) If the national law of the wife causes her to lose her nationality on marriage with a foreigner, tliis consequence shall be conditional on her acquiring the nationality of the husband. (2) If the national law of the wife causes her to lose her nationality upon a change in the nationality of her husband. occurring during 1 marriage, this consequence shall bo conditional on her acquiring her husband’s new nationality. (3) Naturalisation of the husband during marriage shall not involve a change in the nationality of the wife except with her consent. (4) The wife, who, 'under the law of her country, lost her nationality on marriage shall not recover iit after the dissolution of the marriage except on her own application and in accordance with the law of that country. If she does recover it, sho shall lose the nationality which she acquired by reason of the marriage. The question of the adoption, or otherwise, of the fore--'vng articles for the wdiole of the British Empire, is at present under consideration by the several Governments concerned.