Sahayrati initiative: Citizenship companions and community advocates
Challenge
Citizenship in Nepal determines access to essential services, yet discriminatory laws prevent many women from transferring citizenship to their children, leaving them at risk of statelessness. This exclusion fuels poverty, stigma and inequality, driving widespread risk of statelessness across generations.
Solution
CAPN is testing a model combining legal advocacy, social awareness, and direct support for individuals denied citizenship and at risk of statelessness in Nepal. The initiative will train four individuals with lived experience of citizenship denial as sahayatri (“fellow travellers”). They will support others through legal guidance and case assistance, while serving as community advocates who conduct grassroots outreach, awareness-raising, and local advocacy.
Impact
Citizenship-affected people take visible leadership roles in advocacy actions on citizenship rights in Nepal. The programme will train four sahayatris and support two individuals to overcome the legal barriers to obtain nationality, while raising awareness among more than 150 community members and government officials.