The White Ribbon. “For God, and Home, and Humanity.” WELLINGTON AUGUST 18, 1929. NATIONALITY OF MARRIED WOMEN.

White Ribbon, Volume 35, Issue 409, 18 August 1929, Page 7

The White Ribbon. “For God, and Home, and Humanity.” WELLINGTON AUGUST 18, 1929. NATIONALITY OF MARRIED WOMEN.

on IV bruan i s "«. IMS. ' Pan american Conference ting at Havana. Cuba, < n lied by resolution a Commission to be composed of wonmn. to eaqulre into the international status of women in the Western Hemisphere. This is ■ imission, composed of one woman from sash country, and the report of its findings is t<> i).' made to <. renth Pan-Padnc I see, to i in Montevideo In IMS. 1 is the first Urns tint the Nation- of America bare formall] laed woman'i Intelligence Is International all airs. MISS l»< lis BtSTSns, thS brilliant young feminist, is the Chairman of this Committer "Th< «i ation oi the iiiMT-Am. riean Commission of Women." sa\ s Mi<s St. ;< a step of groat ilgnlflcanci. not only in the impetus it giroi the feminist moveiu* nt. hut also m ii> chain nge to law-makers tin world OVST. The BOW world ran. in fact, be I I women a< well as m< n. Women hare - nt< red the International Bald to stay. When we sshed the Pan-American Conf< rones Is Havana for this woman's ComSSittSS, it was the first time that such I request had hern mad. to a Tan American Conference. That they granted it the first time If was protod, Is to their immortal honour. "The first subject taken sp is the Nationality of married women. There is no uniformity in laws on nationalit). A woman may find herself possessed of several nationslitiei or of none.

•in some countries the law works both Ways h native woman who manias ■ foreigner takes his nationality; I foreign woman who marries i native man takes ins

nationality. Thii li true of H tor instance. On tin other hand, tin l OUntrleS in which the law worki onlj one way. Again, as in Quatemala, s woman is given an option si to her nationality. She may keep he* own or take her husband • efers, if she mi a definite statement to tl I In the mai i lage ag r< emenl

"In other countries, the naturalization law '- nt for n I for Benndor, for Insts the naturalization of a man carries with it the naturalisation of his wife and children, hut the naturalisation married woman, <>n the other hand, does not CSIT] with it the naturalization of her hush, .id and children.

"in som, cases, most Illogical and lamentabh Of all, a woman has no nationality. An EnglishWOCl in. for exsmple, married to sn Vrgentine, to enjoy English nationality ordlng to British law, but does not become Arg< ntin< bj ne law. There li no n mod] wl sfc \si for Buch i condition, in practice, hoi eisr, Argentine gires the woman her port and diplomatic facilii hut she If beyond the pah- of nationality: cast off by bar own country and not socepted by hsr husband's.

"There are | few countries in our hemisphere, such Si Hrazil and Uruguay, which hare sn enlightened law that man hall sol shTect the nationality of women. "in the United Btat< i, i woman n tains her nstionslit} upon man « ith a foreigner only when i . himself eligible for U.S. citisenship. In other words, a woman may lost her nationality upon marriag< ; I man m ver d

"Again, in the United Stat woman who marries i foreigner and lives two years Is her husbands country is presumed to have lost her rationality, ;\m\ to maintain it must o\ercon«. this presumption. A man under the satin- dreumStSnOSl is mv. r presumed to hare lost his nationallt) ' If I woman from the United sta»es marries s foi and llras with him fire vars saywhere outside lu-r own country, eordlng to U.S. law, im Is sgain pr< lumed to bar* lost her nationality.

"in some countriei the U.B. Smong thmn whSfl I child is horn ahroad. the country will

nationality to tin- child only if tbi father has t hiit nationality. The counr i \ gIVCI thi motliei's nation.il It] to tin- child in such ■!..,. in- child H Illegitimate "in Marlj ail thcne con diet typea Of laws on nationalit>. t h«-r«-is MM outstanding attribut* : VMM discriminated against. ()nl> in a few countries is the law on nationality now th€ Millie fOI men and women.

"This subject of nationality li om of throe pointa on the Agenda for the Confereoee on the Codification of International Law. which lias BCOU relied bj t l • League ol Nations, and u to in*-* t at the HagUC thll year. The fust Oommlaeloa of tin League ut NatlOUl hM toted ll favour of providing for women ]■]■- nipotti, tiari.'s to this Conf< I r l bta la an epoch making event, for never, in ail recorded history, have wrornen been Included on acjnad tonus with men in an international gathering "t • rnmenl plenipotentartea called to draw up an agreement on int»Tnational matt. ■

"The woiiH :\ ha\. reeolved to for an BOJUaJ Rights Treaty, of which the folloninf are the two articles:

"\rtirle I: The contract in.: States agree that, upon ratification of this Treat; . mm and women •ball have equal rights throughout the territory, ■ubjecl to their reepectlve Jurtadlct i o n s.

•' \rticle II: Thi- Treat] lhall take effect tor the States which ratify it, provided it is ratified B>T at least two Stat« s. aa soon as the ratifications have been depoeited at «place to he decided upon).*'