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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.
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English1. Lesotho shall adopt policies aimed at promoting a society based on equality and justice for all its citizens regardless of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
2. In particular, the State shall take appropriate measures in order to promote equality of opportunity for the disadvantaged groups in the society to enable them to participate fully in all spheres of public life. (Sec. 26)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English
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Reaffirming our adherence and our attachment to the Conventions of the United Nations on the Rights of the Child and on the Rights of Women, particularly to the objective of the parity of man-woman representation within the institutions of the country as well as to the international instruments concerning the protection and promotion of human rights;
… (Preamble)3 - French
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Réaffirmant notre adhésion et notre attachement à la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme, à la Charte Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples, aux Conventions des Nations Unies sur les Droits de l’Enfant et sur les Droits de la Femme, particulièrement à l’objectif de la parité de représentation homme-femme au sein des institutions du pays ainsi qu’aux instruments internationaux relatifs à la protection et à la promotion des droits humains;
… (Préambule)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- EnglishDuring the transitional period, state agencies perform the following duties:
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(2) Repeal laws and provisions that restrict freedoms or that discriminate between citizens on the basis of gender.
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(7) Guarantee and promote women’s rights in Sudan in all social, political, and economic fields, and combat all forms of discrimination against women, taking into account provisional preferential measures in both war and peace.
(8) Strengthen the role of young people of both sexes and expand their opportunities in all social, political and economic fields.
... (Art. 7) - Arabicتلتزم اجهزه الدوله في الفترة الانتقاليه بإنفاذ المهام الآتية:
2. إلغاء القوانبن والنصوص المقيدة للحريات او التي تميز بين المواطنين علي اساس النوع..
7. ضمان وتعزيز حقوق النساء في السودان في كافة المجالات الإجتماعية والسياسية والإقتصادية ومحاربة كافه اشكال التمييز ضد المرأة مع مراعاة التدابير التفضلية المؤقته في حالتي السلم والحرب...
8. تعزيز دور الشباب من الجنسين وتوسيع فرصهم في كافة المجالات الإجتماعية والسياسية والإقتصادية ...
(الماده 8)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English(1) All persons shall be equal before the law.
(2) A person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status.
(3) For the purposes of this article, "discriminate" means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another description which are not granted of persons of another description are not made subject or are granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description.
(4) Nothing in this article shall prevent Parliament from enacting laws that are reasonably necessary to provide-
(a) for the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic or educational imbalance in the Ghanaian society;
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(d) for making different provision for different communities having regard to their special circumstances not being provision which is inconsistent with the spirit of this Constitution.
... (Art. 17)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English
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The law favors the equal access and the participation of women and men in public employment and to the functions in the domain of the political, economical and social life. (Art. 6) - French
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La loi favorise l’égal accès et la participation des femmes et des hommes aux emplois publics et aux fonctions dans le domaine de la vie politique, économique et sociale. (Art. 6)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- EnglishThe fundamental tasks of the Angolan state shall be:
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k) To promote equality between men and women;
… (Art. 21) - PortugueseConstituem tarefas fundamentais do Estado angolano:
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k) Promover a igualdade entre o homem e a mulher;
… (Art. 21)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English…
(5) The State shall afford equality of economic opportunity to all citizens and, in particular, the State shall take all necessary steps so as to ensure the full integration of women into the mainstream of economic development.
… (Sec. 59)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English…
(3) Every person has the right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on such grounds as their nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability or economic or social status, or whether they were born in or out of wedlock.
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(6) The State must take reasonable legislative and other measures to promote the achievement of equality and to protect or advance people or classes of people who have been disadvantaged by unfair discrimination, and—
(a) such measures must be taken to redress circumstances of genuine need;
(b) no such measure is to be regarded as unfair for the purposes of subsection (3). (Sec. 56)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English...
(2) Nothing contained in Article 10 hereof shall prevent Parliament from enacting legislation providing directly or indirectly for the advancement of persons within Namibia who have been socially, economically or educationally disadvantaged by past discriminatory laws or practices, or for the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic or educational imbalances in the Namibian society arising out of discriminatory laws or practices, or for achieving a balanced structuring of the public service, the defence force, the police force, and the correctional service.
(3) In the enactment of legislation and the application of any policies and practices contemplated by Sub-Article (2) hereof, it shall be permissible to have regard to the fact that women in Namibia have traditionally suffered special discrimination and that they need to be encouraged and enabled to play a full, equal and effective role in the political, social, economic and cultural life of the nation. (Art. 23)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English(1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (4), (5) and (7) of this section, no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
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(3) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons, attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, tribe, 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.
(4) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision-
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(e) whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section 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)