The absence of a birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate, or of adult identity documentation can have catastrophic effects on women and their children.
This paper examines the role of gender in civil registration and vital statistics and access to adult identity documentation, drawing on analyses from Asia Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Both CRVS and access to adult identity documentation are very important for both women and men, yet this paper finds that the benefits for women are typically greater in many countries because of additional constraints they face from gender discrimination, increased risk of early marriage and sexual trafficking, and vulnerability from widowhood or divorce.
Benefits include:
- Increased access to basic services such as health, education, and social protection benefits for themselves and their children.
- Protection of fundamental rights, such as voting rights, land rights, inheritance rights, and protection against child marriage.