SEARCH DATABASE
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)
- English
The State commits to protect the acquired rights of women and sees to consolidating and promoting them.
The State guarantees equal opportunities [chances] between men and women for access to the divers responsibilities and in all domains.
The State works towards consecrating parity between women and men in the elected assemblies.
… (Art. 51) - Arabic
تلتزم الدّولة بحماية الحقوق المكتسبة للمرأة وتعمل على دعمها وتطويرها.
تضمن الدّولة تكافؤ الفرص بين الرّجل والمرأة في تحمّل مختلف المسؤوليّات وفي جميع المجالات.
تسعى الدّولة إلى تحقيق التّناصف بين المرأة والرّجل في المجالس المنتخبة.
... (الفصل 51) - French
L’État s’engage à protéger les droits acquis de la femme et veille à les consolider et à les promouvoir.
L’État garantit l’égalité des chances entre l’homme et la femme pour l’accès aux diverses responsabilités et dans tous les domaines.
L’État s’emploie à consacrer la parité entre la femme et l’homme dans les assemblées élues.
... (Art. 51)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English...
(2) No law enacted by any authority in the United Republic shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
…
(4) No person shall be discriminated against by any person or any authority acting under any law or in the discharge of the functions or business of any state office.
(5) For the purposes of this Article the expression “discriminate” means to satisfy the needs, rights or other requirements of different persons on the basis of their nationality, tribe, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, sex or station in life such that certain categories of people are regarded as weak or inferior and are subjected to restrictions or conditions whereas persons of other categories are treated differently or are accorded opportunities or advantage outside the specified conditions or the prescribed necessary qualifications except that the word “discrimination” shall not be construed in a manner that will prohibit the Government from taking purposeful steps aimed at rectifying disabilities in the society.
… (Art. 13)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English1. Subject to subsections (4), (5) and (7), no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
…
3. In this section, 'discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, caste, 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 that are not accorded to persons of another such description.
4. Subsection (1) shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision –
…
aa. for a minimum number of candidates for election to local authorities to be of a particular sex, with a view to ensuring adequate representation of each sex on a local authority;
ab. for a minimum number of candidates for election to the Rodrigues Regional Assembly to be of a particular sex, with a view to ensuring adequate representation of each sex in the Rodrigues Regional Assembly;
… (Sec. 16)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- EnglishThe Government of the Union is composed in a manner to assure the just and equitable representation of the Islands and a just and equitable division between men and women. (Art. 61)
- Arabicتتألف حكومة الاتحاد بشكل يكفل التمثيل العادل والمتكافئ للجزر وتوزيعاً عادلاً ومنصفاً بين المرأة والرجل. (المادة 61)
- FrenchLe Gouvernement est composé de manière à assurer une représentation juste et équitable des Iles et une juste et équitable répartition entre les hommes et les femmes. (Art. 61)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English
…
The man and the woman are equal in law. However, the law may establish special provisions for amelioration of the representation of the people by women.
… (Art. 26) - French
...
L'homme et la femme sont égaux en droit. Toutefois, la loi peut fixer des dispositions spéciales d’amélioration de la représentation du peuple par les femmes. ... (Art. 26)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English
The State works for the promotion of the political rights of women by encouraging their opportunities of access to representation in the elected assemblies.
The conditions of application of this provision are established by an organic law. (Art. 59) - Arabic
تعمل الدولة على ترقية الحقوق السياسية للمرأة بتوسيع حظوظ تمثيلها في المجالس المنتخبة
يحدد قانون عضوي شروط تطبيق هذا الحكم (المادة 59) - French
L'Etat œuvre à la promotion des droits politiques de la femme en encourageant ses chances d'accès à la représentation dans les assemblées élues.
Les conditions d'application de cette disposition sont fixées par une loi organique. (Art. 59)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English(1) All persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life and in every other respect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law.
(2) For the avoidance of any doubt, a person shall not be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, or social or economic standing, political opinion, age or disability.
(3) For the purposes of this section, “discriminate” means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, birth, tribe, creed or religion, or social or economic standing, political opinion, age or disability.
(4) Subject to the provisions of subsection (5) Parliament shall not be competent to enact a law that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
(5) Nothing in this section shall prevent Parliament from enacting laws that are necessary for implementing policies and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic or educational or other imbalances in society. (Sec. 20)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- 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)
- English…
6. There shall be a substantial representation of women in the Judiciary having regard to competence, integrity, credibility and impartiality.
… (Art. 122)
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.
…
(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)