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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 13180 RESULTS
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Zimbabwe
- English(1) The State must promote full gender balance in Zimbabwean society, and in particular—
(a) the State must promote the full participation of women in all spheres of Zimbabwean society on the basis of equality with men;
(b) the State must take all measures, including legislative measures, needed to ensure that—
(i) both genders are equally represented in all institutions and agencies of government at every level; and
(ii) women constitute at least half the membership of all Commissions and other elective and appointed governmental bodies established by or under this Constitution or any Act of Parliament;
(c) the State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must take practical measures to ensure that women have access to resources, including land, on the basis of equality with men.
(2) The State must take positive measures to rectify gender discrimination and imbalances resulting from past practices and policies. (Sec. 17)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Portugal
- EnglishThe fundamental tasks of the state are:
…
h) To promote equality between men and women. (Art. 9) - PortugueseSão tarefas fundamentais do Estado:
…
h) Promover a igualdade entre homens e mulheres. (Art. 9)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Haiti
- EnglishThe principle of the quota of at least thirty percent (30%) of women is recognized at all levels of national life, notably in the public services. (Art. 17-1)
- FrenchLe principe du quota d’au moins trente pour cent (30%) de femmes est reconnu à tous les niveaux de la vie nationale, notamment dans les services publics. (Art. 17.1)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Ecuador
- EnglishFor multi-person elections, the law shall establish an electoral system in line with the principles of proportionality, equality of vote, equity, parity and rotation of power between women and men and shall determine the voting precincts inside and outside the country. (Art. 116)
- SpanishPara las elecciones pluripersonales, la ley establecerá un sistema electoral conforme a los principios de proporcionalidad, igualdad del voto, equidad, paridad y alternabilidad entre mujeres y hombres; y determinará las circunscripciones electorales dentro y fuera del país. (Art. 116)
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)
Paraguay
- EnglishMen and women have equal civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. The State will promote the conditions and will create the adequate mechanisms for, making equality real and effective, by leveling [allanando] the obstacles that prevent or hinder its exercise and facilitating the participation of women in all areas [ámbitos] of the national life. (Art. 48)
- SpanishEl hombre y la mujer tienen iguales derechos civiles, políticos, sociales, económicos y culturales. El Estado promoverá las condiciones y creará los mecanismos adecuados para que la igualdad sea real y efectiva, allanando los obstáculos que impidan o dificulten su ejercicio y facilitando la participación de la mujer en todos los ámbitos de la vida nacional. (Art. 48)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Timor-Leste
- EnglishThe fundamental objectives of the State shall be:
…
j) To create, promote and guarantee the effective equality of opportunities between women and men. (Sec. 6) - TetumEstadu nia objetivu fundamentál sira maka ne’e:
…
j) Hamoris, promove no garante biban no leet ne’ebé hanesan ba ema feto no mane. (Art. 6) - PortugueseO Estado tem como objectivos fundamentais:
...
j) Criar, promover e garantir a efectiva igualdade de oportunidades entre a mulher e o homem. (Art. 6)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Zambia
- English1. Where a person is empowered to make a nomination or an appointment to a public office, that person shall ensure—
…
b. that fifty percent of each gender is nominated or appointed from the total available positions, unless it is not practicable to do so; ... (Art. 259)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Lesotho
- English1. Subject to the provisions of subsections (4) and (5) no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
...
3. In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status 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.
4. Subsection (1) shall not apply to any law to the extent that that law makes provision—
…
e. whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) may be made subject 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.
Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the making of laws in pursuance of the principle of State Policy of promoting a society based on equality and justice for all the citizens of Lesotho and thereby removing any discriminatory law.
... (Sec. 18)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
Guyana
- English…
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may make provision -
(a) …
(v) for the extraction from the lists and declaration of names of the candidates who have been elected, and for such provision for extraction to take into account the proportion that women form of the electorate;
…
(b) …
(iii) for the minimum number or proportion of female candidates on a party’s list and in all party’s lists taken together;
(iv) for the minimum number or proportion of female candidates on a party’s lists for geographical constituencies taken individually or together;
(v) for the maximum percentage or the number of geographical constituencies a party can contest in which its lists contain no female candidate.
… (Art. 160)