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The Global Gender Equality Constitutional Database is a repository of gender equality related provisions in 194 constitutions from around the world. The Database was updated in partnership with the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Government of Japan. Experience its wealth and depth of information by starting your search now.

ABOUT 734 RESULTS

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Fiji
  • English
    …
    (3) A person must not be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly on the grounds of his or her—
    (a) actual or supposed personal characteristics or circumstances, including race, culture, ethnic or social origin, colour, place of origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, birth, primary language, economic or social or health status, disability, age, religion, conscience, marital status or pregnancy;
    …
    (7) Treating one person differently from another on any of the grounds prescribed under subsection (3) is discrimination, unless it can be established that the difference in treatment is not unfair in the circumstances.
    … (Sec. 26)
  • iTaukei
    …
    (3) Na veivakaduiduitaki e vakatabui vakalawa kevaka e yaco vua e dua na tamata ena vuku ni—
    (a) nona ivakarau se kena ituvaki, oka kina na veimatatamata e lewena, nona itovo vakavanua, kawatamata, kuliniyago, na nona yavutu, kevaka e yalewa se tagane, kevaka e tagane, na nona digitaka me vinakata na tagane, kevaka e yalewa, na nona digitaka me vinakata na yalewa, se nona digitaka me vinakata ruarua na yalewa kei na tagane, nomu digitaka se vakaraitaka mo bulataka na bula vakatagane se bula vakayalewa, kevaka e gone susu se sucu ena daku ni vakamau, vosanisucu, ituvaki ni bula se bula vakailavo, vakaleqai vakayago, yabaki ni bula, nomu vakabauta, lewa e loma, vakawati se sega, se kevaka e bukete;
    …
    (7) Ni sega ni tautauvata na nodrau qaravi e rua na tamata ena vuku ni dua na tikina e vakatabui ena wasetiki (3), ya sa wili me veivakaduiduitaki, vakavo ke rawa ni vakadeitaki ni na veivakaduiduitaki ya e ganita na vanua e vakayacori kina.
    … (Sec. 26)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Vanuatu
  • English
    1. The Republic of Vanuatu recognises, that, subject to any restrictions imposed by law on non-citizens and holders of dual citizenship who are not indigenous or naturalised citizens, all persons are entitled to the following fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual without discrimination on the grounds of race, place of origin, religious or traditional beliefs, political opinions, language or sex but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and to the legitimate public interest in defence, safety, public order, welfare and health-
    …
    k. equal treatment under the law or administrative action, except that no law shall be inconsistent with this sub-paragraph insofar as it makes provision for the special benefit, welfare, protection or advancement of females, children and young persons, members of under-privileged groups or inhabitants of less developed areas.
    … (Art. 5)
  • French
    1) Sous réserve des restrictions que la Loi peut imposer aux non-citoyens et aux détenteurs de la double nationalité qui ne sont pas indigènes ou citoyens naturalisés et dans le respect des droits et libertés d'autrui et de l'intérêt public légitime en matière de défense, de sécurité, d'ordre public, de prospérité et de santé, la République de Vanuatu reconnaît que toute personne, sans distinction de race, lieu d'origine, croyances religieuses ou traditionnelles, opinions politiques, langue ou sexe jouit des droits fondamentaux et les libertés individuelles suivants:
    ...
    k) un traitement égal devant la Loi ou l'action administrative, étant entendu qu'une loi ne contrevient pas aux dispositions du présent alinéa dans la mesure où elle prévoit des dispositions pour le bénéfice particulier, le bien-être, la protection ou l'amélioration des conditions des femmes, des enfants et des jeunes, des membres de catégories défavorisées, ou des habitants de zones moins développées.
    ... (Art. 5)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

New Zealand
  • English
    For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that preferential treatment granted by reason of—
    (a) a woman’s pregnancy or childbirth; or
    (b) a person’s responsibility for part-time care or full-time care of children or other dependants— shall not constitute a breach of this Part. (Human Rights Act 1993, Sec. 74)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Samoa
  • English
    (1) All persons are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection under the law.
    (2) Except as expressly authorised under the provisions of this Constitution, no law and no executive or administrative action of the State shall, either expressly or in its practical application, subject any person or persons to any disability or restriction or confer on any person or persons any privilege or advantage on grounds only of descent, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, place of birth, family status, or any of them.
    (3) Nothing in this Article shall –
    …
    (b) Prevent the making of any provision for the protection or advancement of women or children or of any socially or educationally retarded class of persons.
    … (Art. 15)
  • Samoan
    (1) E tutusa tagata uma i luma o le tulafono ma e tofu tatau ona maua le puipuiga tutusa i lalo o le tulafono.
    (2) Vagana ai e pei ona faatagaina manino e lenei Faavae, e leai se tulafono ma e leai se gaoioiga a le Malo tau le pulega faatonu po o le tausiga o le a, po o lona faamatalaina manino ai pe faatino mai ai se mafatiaga o so o se tagata po o ni tagata i so o se itu e le mafai ai po o le faasaina po o le tuuina atu i so o se tagata po o ni tagata so o se tulaga aloaia po o le tulaga taugamalie ona o le avea ma mafuaaga lona tupuaga, tane pe se fafine, gagana, lotu, taofi tau upu fai o malo po o se isi lava taofi, mafuaaga faale-vafealoai, nuu na fanau ai, tulaga faale-aiga, po o nisi lava o ia mea.
    (3) E leai se mea i lenei Mataupu o le a:
    …
    (e) taofia ai o le faia o so o se aiaiga mo le puipuiga po o le faagasologa i luma o fafine po o tamaiti po o le vasega o tagata ua telegese le gasologa i luma o lo latou tulaga tau le vafealoai po o le aoaoina.
    … (Mataupu 15)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

New Zealand
  • English
    (1) Anything done or omitted which would otherwise constitute a breach of any of the provisions of this Part3 shall not constitute such a breach if—
    (a) it is done or omitted in good faith for the purpose of assisting or advancing persons or groups of persons, being in each case persons against whom discrimination is unlawful by virtue of this Part; and
    (b) those persons or groups need or may reasonably be supposed to need assistance or advancement in order to achieve an equal place with other members of the community.
    (2) Nothing in this Part—
    (a) limits the power of the Crown to establish or arrange work or training schemes or employment assistance measures, eligibility for which may, in whole or in part, be determined by a person's age, employment status, or family status; or
    (b) makes it unlawful for any person to recruit or refer any other person who is of a particular age or of a particular employment status or of a particular family status for any work or training scheme or employment assistance measure that is established or arranged by the Crown, the eligibility for which may, in whole or in part, be determined by a person's age, employment status, or family status. (Human Rights Act 1993, Sec. 73)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Papua New Guinea
  • English
    (1) Subject to this Constitution, all citizens have the same rights, privileges, obligations and duties irrespective of race, tribe, place of origin, political opinion, colour, creed, religion or sex.
    (2) Subsection (1) does not prevent the making of laws for the special benefit, welfare, protection or advancement of females, children and young persons, members of under-privileged or less advanced groups or residents of less advanced areas.
    … (Sec. 55)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Tuvalu
  • English

    (1) In this section, discrimination refers to the treatment of different people in different ways wholly or mainly because of their different —
    (a) races; or
    (b) places of origin; or
    (c) political opinions; or
    (d) colours; or
    (e) religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs, or
    (f) disability; or
    (g) sex
    in such a way that one such person is for some such reason given more favourable treatment or less favourable treatment than another such person.
    (2) Subject to the provisions of this Part, and in particular to —
    (a) the succeeding provisions of this section; 
    ...
    no-one shall be treated in a discriminatory manner.
    (3) Subsection (2) does not apply to a law so far as it makes provision —
     … 
    (f) by which any person or group may be given favourable treatment or unfavourable treatment which, having regard to the nature of the treatment and to any special circumstances of the person or group, is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society having a proper respect for human rights and dignity.
    ... (Sec. 27)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

New Zealand
  • English
    (1) Everyone has the right to freedom from discrimination on the grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act 1993.
    (2) Measures taken in good faith for the purpose of assisting or advancing persons or groups of persons disadvantaged because of discrimination that is unlawful by virtue of Part 22 of the Human Rights Act 1993 do not constitute discrimination. (Bill of Rights Act 1990, Sec. 19)

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Solomon Islands
  • English

    (1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (5), (6) and (9) of this section, no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
    …
    (4) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
    (5) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision-
    …
    (f) for the advancement of the more disadvantaged members of the community; or
    (g) where persons of any such description as is mentioned in the preceding subsection may be subjected to any disability or restriction or may be accorded any privilege or advantage which, having regard to its nature and to special circumstances pertaining to those persons or to persons of any other such description, is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.
    … (Sec. 15)2

Affirmative Action (Broadly)

Solomon Islands
  • English

    (1) The Electoral Commission is established.
    (2) The Commission comprises:
    (a) a Chairperson; and
    (b) two othermembers; and
    (c) the Chief Electoral Officer appointed under section 57A.
    …
    (5) At least one member of the Commission must be a woman.
    … (Sec. 57)