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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)
- 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)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English
…
(2) The Federation, provinces and municipalities subscribe to the de-facto equality of men and women. Measures to promote factual equality of women and men, in particular by eliminating actually existing inequalities, are admissible.
… (Art. 7) - German
…
(2) Bund, Länder und Gemeinden bekennen sich zur tatsächlichen Gleichstellung von Mann und Frau. Maßnahmen zur Förderung der faktischen Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern insbesondere durch Beseitigung tatsächlich bestehender Ungleichheiten sind zulässig.
… (Art. 7)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English…
(2) The need for a Commission established by this Chapter2 to reflect broadly the race and gender composition of South Africa must be considered when members are appointed.
… (Sec. 193)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English
The unconditional equality of all Nicaraguans in the enjoyment of political rights[,] is established; in the exercise of them and in the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities, [there] exists absolute equality between the man and the woman.
It is the obligation of the State to eliminate the obstacles that impede the actuality [hecho] of equality among Nicaraguans and their effective participation in the political, economic and social life of the country. (Art. 48) - Spanish
Se establece la igualdad incondicional de todos los nicaragüenses en el goce de sus derechos políticos; en el ejercicio de los mismos y en el cumplimiento de sus deberes y responsabilidades, existe igualdad absoluta entre el hombre y la mujer.
Es obligación del Estado eliminar los obstáculos que impidan de hecho la igualdad entre los nicaragüenses y su participación efectiva en la vida política, económica y social del país. (Art. 48)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- EnglishCongress is empowered:
…
23.- To legislate and promote positive measures guaranteeing true equal opportunities and treatment, the full benefit and exercise of the rights recognized by this Constitution and by the international treaties on human rights in force, particularly referring to children, women, the aged, and disabled persons.
… (Sec. 75) - SpanishCorresponde al Congreso:
…
23. Legislar y promover medidas de acción positiva que garanticen la igualdad real de oportunidades y de trato, y el pleno goce y ejercicio de los derechos reconocidos por esta Constitución y por los tratados internacionales vigentes sobre derechos humanos, en particular respecto de los niños, las mujeres, los ancianos y las personas con discapacidad.
… (Art. 75)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- 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)
- English…
(6) 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 the economic development of Ghana.
… (Art. 36)
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.
…
(3) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, color or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such descriptions are not made subject or are recorded privileges of advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
(4) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any law do far as that law makes provision-
…
d. 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 that, 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. 13)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- English(1) The State shall endeavour to ensure equality of opportunity to all citizens.
(2) The State shall adopt effective measures to remove social and economic inequality between man and man and to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth among citizens, and of opportunities in order to attain a uniform level of economic development throughout the Republic.
(3) The State Shall endeavour to ensure equality of opportunity and participation of women in all spheres of national life. (Art. 19) - Bengali(১) সকল নাগরিকের জন্য সুযোগের সমতা নিশ্চিত করিতে রাষ্ট্র সচেষ্ট হইবেন৷
(২) মানুষে মানুষে সামাজিক ও অর্থনৈতিক অসাম্য বিলোপ করিবার জন্য, নাগরিকদের মধ্যে সম্পদের সুষম বন্টন নিশ্চিত করিবার জন্য এবং প্রজাতন্ত্রের সর্বত্র অর্থনৈতিক উন্নয়নের সমান স্তর অর্জনের উদ্দেশ্যে সুষম সুযোগ-সুবিধাদান নিশ্চিত করিবার জন্য রাষ্ট্র কার্যকর ব্যবস্থা গ্রহণ করিবেন৷
(৩) জাতীয় জীবনের সর্বস্তরে মহিলাদের অংশগ্রহণ ও সুযোগের সমতা রাষ্ট্র নিশ্চিত করিবেন। (অনুচ্ছেদ ১৯)
Affirmative Action (Broadly)
- 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)