UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 21) In 2014, Suriname's National Assembly amended the Act on Regulation of the Surinamese Nationality and Residency (S.B. 2014 no. 121). Previous language of this Act was in violation of international standards, by differentiating in the treatment of men and women with respect to acquiring and losing the Surinamese nationality through marriage and divorce, enabling only non-national women (not men) who marry a Surinamese man to become a Surinamese national. The 2014 amendment reverses decades of gender discrimination in nationality laws. It brings Surinamese law in line with international standards, in particular, article 9 (1) and (2) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), by removing all differentiations between men and women with respect to acquiring and losing the Surinamese nationality.

Para 22) The 2014 Amendment of the Act on Nationality and Residency also changed the situation with regard to the nationality of children. Until then, the child of a Surinamese woman, born out of wedlock, not legally recognized by the father, but born in Suriname, could acquire the Surinamese nationality. Born elsewhere, such child would be stateless. The child of a Surinamese man acquired Surinamese nationality regardless of its place of birth. These prior provisions were in violation of CEDAW, Article 9 (2). According to the 2014 Amendment, a child is now granted Surinamese nationality automatically if its father or mother is of Surinamese nationality at the time of its birth (Article 3 (a) as amended), while the other conditions for a woman to confer her nationality to her child have been removed. The explanatory memorandum to the Act states that this amendment "demonstrates the full equality of men and women (father and mother) before the Act in the establishment of the nationality of the child at birth". Article 3 (c) of the 2014 Act retains the provision of granting Surinamese nationality to any child born on the territory who would otherwise be stateless, and Article 4 (b) retains the provision granting Surinamese nationality to foundlings or abandoned children in the country, whose parents are unknown.

Para 26) On April 27, 2012 the Stalking Act was adopted. According to this Act, preventive measures can be taken by the Public Prosecutor to protect those who feel violated. With regard to stalking, one-hundred thirty-seven (137) cases were registered, in the period 2012 - 11 April 2014, at the Office of the Attorney General. Ten (10) cases were referred to the judge, restraining orders were granted for six (6) cases, twenty-six (26) cases were conditionally dismissed, and thirty-six (36) cases were settled by the Public Prosecutor.

Para 28) In 2014, the 'National Policy Plan Structural Approach Domestic Violence 2014-2017' was formulated by the Steering Group Domestic Violence (in which officials from 6 ministries are represented) in collaboration with the Platform Approach Domestic Violence, which consists of representatives of relevant NGOs. The Ministry of Justice and Police has presented this plan for approval to the Council of Ministers.

UN Compilation:
Para 16) Concerning universal periodic review recommendation 73.23, UNHCR welcomed the decision by Suriname to amend Law No. 4 of 24 November 1975 on Nationality and Residence to ensure gender equality in the transmission of nationality. According to UNHCR, in July 2014, the National Assembly of Suriname had passed the Draft Law on Nationality and Residency (Ontwerpwet op de Nationaliteit en het Ingezetenschap), amending the 1975 Law. The new law gave women the same right as men to confer their nationality to their spouses and introduced important safeguards to prevent statelessness due to loss of nationality.

Para 17) In that regard, earlier in 2014, the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice had sent a communication to Suriname, noting that legislation in Suriname discriminated against women in that children born abroad to unmarried parents acquired Surinamese citizenship by descent if their father was a Surinamese citizen but not if their mother was.

National Report:
Para 58) To promote safe working conditions and prevent discrimination in the workplace, two Bills were tabled in Parliament in 2019 namely: (a) the Bill on Equal Treatment in Employment; and (b) the Bill on Violence and Sexual Harassment on the Workfloor..

UN Compilation:
Para 19) [CEDAW] was concerned about the negative impact of the activities of foreign-owned gold mining, petroleum extraction and agribusiness companies on the rights of rural women, Maroon women and indigenous women.
Para 86) CEDAW reiterated its previous concerns about the persistence of discriminatory stereotypes concerning the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society.
Para 111) CEDAW was concerned about violations of the land rights of indigenous women and tribal women, despite three judgments of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued in 2005, 2007 and 2015, holding that the State had violated the rights of indigenous people to land and access to justice. The Committee further regretted that rural women, Maroon women and indigenous women were excluded from decision-making processes, in particular with regard to the use of land.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 72) JS1 stated that women, girls, lesbian, bisexual and trans women, women living with HIV, sex workers and migrant women and girls in vulnerable situations experienced sexual and gender-based violence, discrimination and stigmatization in the private and the public domain. It stated that risk factors included young age, low educational level, pregnancy and early cohabitation with a male partner. In addition, social and cultural attitudes contributed significantly to maintaining entrenched gender roles within society.

National Report:
Para 81) The Ministry of Health has developed significant policies and plans of actions, aimed at increasing access for women to health, guided by a human rights based approach and a gender perspective, i.e. the National Strategy Plan HIV 2004-2008 and 2009-2013; the plan for 2014-2020 is in preparation; the National Strategic Plan Renewal and Strengthening of Primary Health Care 2014-2018; Safe Motherhood and Neonatal Health Action Plan, based on the Safe Motherhood Needs Assessment 2014 and the National Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Policy of Suriname, 2013-2017.