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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.
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- 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.
2. Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.
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—
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b. for the application, in the case of persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) (or of persons connected with such persons), of the law with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other like matters which is the personal law of persons of that description; or
c. for the application of the customary law of Lesotho with respect to any matter in the case of persons who, under that law, are subject to that law; or
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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.
5. Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1) to the extent that it makes provision with respect to standards of qualifications (not being standards of qualifications specifically relating to race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status) to be required of any person who is appointed to any office in the public service, any office in a disciplined force, any office in the service of a local government authority or any office in a body corporate established by law for public purposes.
6. Subsection (2) shall not apply to anything which is expressly or by necessary implication authorised to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in subsection (4) or (5).
7. No person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner in respect of access to shops, hotels, lodging houses, public restaurants, eating houses, beer halls or places of public entertainment or in respect of access to places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of public funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.
8. The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to the generality of section 19 of this Constitution. (Sec. 18)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishWe, representative of the Dominican people, freely and democratically elected, assembled in the National Revisory Assembly, … propelled by the selfless work of our men and women, ruled by the supreme values and the fundamental principles of human dignity, liberty, equality, the rule of law, justice, solidarity, and fraternal coexistence, social well-being, ecological equilibrium, progress and peace, essential factors for social cohesion, we declare our desire to promote the unity of the Dominican Nation, for which in an exercise of our free determination we adopt and proclaim the following (Preamble)
- SpanishNosotros, representantes del pueblo dominicano, libre y democráticamente elegidos, reunidos en Asamblea Nacional Revisora; … estimulados por el trabajo abnegado de nuestros hombres y mujeres; regidos por los valores supremos y los principios fundamentales de la dignidad humana, la libertad, la igualdad, el imperio de la ley, la justicia, la solidaridad, la convivencia fraterna, el bienestar social, el equilibrio ecológico, el progreso y la paz, factores esenciales para la cohesión social; declaramos nuestra voluntad de promover la unidad de la Nación dominicana, por lo que en ejercicio de nuestra libre determinación adoptamos y proclamamos la siguiente (Preámbulo)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- English(1) All citizens shall be equal before the law and the government and shall be required to respect the law and the government, with no exceptions.
… (Art. 27) - Indonesian(1) Segala warga negara bersamaan kedudukannya di dalam hukum dan pemerintahan dan wajib menjunjung hukum dan pemerintahan itu dengan tidak ada kecualinya.
… (Pasal 27)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- English
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(2) All citizens of the Republic of Moldova are equal before the law and public authorities, regardless of the race, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion, sex, opinion, political affiliation, property or social origin. (Art. 16) - Moldovian
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(2) Toţi cetăţenii Republicii Moldova sînt egali în faţa legii şi a autorităţilor publice, fără deosebire de rasă, naţionalitate, origine etnică, limbă, religie, sex, opinie, apartenenţă politică, avere sau de origine socială. (Art. 16)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- English…
2. The State shall take all necessary measures for the realization of the right to development. Such measures shall include, amongst other things, equality of opportunity for all … (Sec. 30)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishWE, THE GUYANESE PEOPLE,
… proclaim this Constitution in order to:
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Celebrate our cultural and racial diversity and strengthen our unity by eliminating any and every form of discrimination;
… (Preamble)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishThe Haitian people proclaim this Constitution:
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To fortify the national unity, eliminating all discrimination between the populations, of the towns and of the countryside, by the acceptance of the community of languages and of culture and by the recognition of the right to progress, to information, to education, to health, to work and to leisure for all citizens [masculine] and citizens [feminine].
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To establish a governmental regime based on the fundamental liberties and the respect for human rights, the social peace, economic equity, the equity of gender, the concerted [action] and the participation of all the population in the grand decisions engaging the national life, by an effective decentralization.
To assure to women a representation in the instances of power and of decision which must conform to the equality of the sexes and to equity of gender. (Preamble) - FrenchLe Peuple Haïtien proclame la présente Constitution:
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Pour fortifier l'unité nationale, en éliminant toutes discrimations entre les populations des villes et des campagnes, par l'acceptation de la communauté de langues et de culture et par la reconnaissance du droit au progrès, à l'information, à l'éducation, à la santé, au travail et au loisir pour tous les citoyens et citoyennes.
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Pour instaurer un régime gouvernamental basé sur les libertés fondamentales et le respect des droits humains, la paix sociale, l’equité économique, l’équité de genre, la concertation et la participation de toute la population aux grandes décisions engageant la vie nationale, par une décentralisation effective.
Pour assurer aux femmes une représentation dans les instances de pouvoir et de décision qui soit conforme à l’égalité des sexes et à l’équité de genre. (Préambule)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishThe people are peers in human dignity and have, in the eyes of the Law, equal public rights and obligations. There shall be made no differentiation among them because of race, origin, language or religion. (Art. 29)
- Arabicالناس سواسية في الكرامة الانسانية ، وهم متساوون لدى القانون في الحقوق والواجبات العامة ، لا تمييز بينهم في ذلك بسبب الجنس أو الأصل أو اللغة أو الدين. (المادّة 29)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- English
All shall be equal before the law, without any distinction based on sex, sexual orientation,3 personal, economic, social, political and religious status.
All citizens shall have access to public services and elective posts, in accordance with the procedure laid down by law.
The Republic shall guarantee equal social dignity and equal protection of rights and freedoms. It shall promote the conditions for the effective participation of citizens in the economic and social life of the Country. (Art. 4) - Italian
Tutti sono uguali davanti alla legge, senza distinzioni di sesso, orientamento sessuale, condizioni personali, economiche, sociali, politiche e religiose.
Tutti i cittadini hanno diritto di accesso ai pubblici uffici ed alle cariche elettive, secondo le modalità stabilite dalla legge.
La Repubblica assicura pari dignità sociale e uguale tutela dei diritti e delle libertà. Promuove le condizioni per l’effettiva partecipazione dei cittadini alla vita economica e sociale del Paese. (Art. 4)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishAll Nigeriens are born and remain free and equal in rights and in duties. However, the access of certain categories of citizens to electoral mandates, to elective functions and to public employments may be favored by particular measures specified by the law. (Art. 10)
- FrenchTous les Nigériens naissent et demeurent libres et égaux en droits et en devoirs. Toutefois, l’accès de certaines catégories de citoyens aux mandats électoraux, aux fonctions électives et aux emplois publics peut être favorisé par des mesures particulières prévues par la loi. (Art. 10)