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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.
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Equality and Non-Discrimination
Bahamas
- English1. Subject to the provision of paragraph (4), (5) and (9) of this Article no law shall make any provision which is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
2. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (6), (9) and (10) of this Article, 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 function of any public office or any public authority.
3. In this Article, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different person attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin political opinions colour or creed whereby person of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which person 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. Paragraph (1) of this Article shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision-
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b. with respect to the entry into or exclusion from, or the employment, engaging in any business or profession, movement of residence within, The Bahamas of persons who are not citizens of The Bahamas; or
c. with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other matters of personal law; or
d. whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in paragraph (3) for this Article 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;
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5. Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent whit or in contravention of paragraph (1) of this Article to the extent that it makes provision with respect to standards or qualifications (not being a standard or qualification specifically relating to race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed) in order to be eligible for service as a public officer or as a member of a disciplined force of for the service of a local government authority or a body corporate established by law for public purposes.
6. Paragraph (2) of this Article shall not apply to anything which is expressly of by necessary implication authorized to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in paragraphs (4) or (5) of this Article.
7. Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (4)(e) and of paragraph (9) of this Article no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner in respect of access to any of the following places to which the general public have access, namely, shops, hotels, restaurants, eating-houses, licensed premises, places of entertainment or places of resort.
8. Subject to the provisions of this Article no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner-
a. in respect of any conveyance or lease or agreement for, or in consideration of , or collateral to, a conveyance or lease of any freehold or leasehold hereditament which have been offered for sale or lease to the general public;
b. in respect of any covenant or provision in any conveyance or lease or agreement for , or in consideration of, or collateral to, a conveyance or lease restricting by discriminatory provision the transfer, ownership, use or occupation of any freehold or leasehold hereditament which have been offered for sale or lease to the general public.
9. Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this Article to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in paragraph (3) of this Article may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by Articles 21,22,23,24 and 25 of this Constitution, being such a restriction as is authorized by Article 21(2)(a), 22(5), 23(2), 24(2) or 25(2)(a) or (e), as the case may be.
10. Nothing in paragraph (2) of this Article shall affect any discretion relating to the institution, conduct or discontinuance of civil or criminal proceedings in any court that is vested in any person by or under this Constitution or any other law. (Art. 26)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
Croatia
- English…
Respecting the will of the Croatian nation and all citizens so unwaveringly expressed in free elections, the Republic of Croatia is hereby established and shall further develop as a sovereign and democratic state in which equality, freedoms and human and citizen rights are guaranteed and secured, and economic and cultural advancement and social welfare are promoted. (I. Historical Foundations) - Croatian…
Poštujući na slobodnim izborima odlučno izraženu volju hrvatskoga naroda i svih građana, Republika Hrvatska oblikuje se i razvija kao suverena i demokratska država u kojoj se jamče i osiguravaju ravnopravnost, slobode i prava čovjeka i državljanina, te promiče njihov gospodarski i kulturni napredak i socijalno blagostanje. (I. Izvorišne Osnove)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
Cabo Verde
- English…
2. The Republic of Cabo Verde shall recognize the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction as to social origin or economic status, race, sex, religion, political or ideological convictions and social status and shall ensure the full exercise of fundamental freedoms by all citizens.
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4. The Republic of Cabo Verde shall create gradually the conditions indispensable for the removal of all obstacles that may hinder the full development of the human person and limit the equality of its citizens, as well as their effective participation in the political, economic, social and cultural organization of the State and of the Cabo Verdean society. (Art. 1) - Portuguese…
2. A República de Cabo Verde reconhece a igualdade de todos os cidadãos perante a lei, sem distinção de origem social ou situação económica, raça, sexo, religião, convicções políticas ou ideológicas e condição social e assegura o pleno exercício por todos os cidadãos das liberdades fundamentais.
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4. A República de Cabo Verde criará progressivamente as condições indispensáveis à remoção de todos os obstáculos que possam impedir o pleno desenvolvimento da pessoa humana e limitar a igualdade dos cidadãos e a efectiva participação destes na organização política, económica, social e cultural do Estado e da sociedade cabo-verdiana. (Art. 1)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
Gambia
- English(1) All persons shall be equal before the law.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (5), no law shall make any provision which is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
(3) Subject to the provisions of subsection (5), no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.
(4) In this section, the expression "discrimination" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, colour, gender, 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.
(5) Subsection (2) shall not apply to any law in so far as that law makes provision—
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(b) with respect to the qualifications prescribed by this Constitution for any office;
(c) with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other matters of personal law;
(d) for the application in the case of members of a particular race or tribe of customary law with respect to any matter in the case of persons who, under that law, are subject to that law.
(6) Subsection (3) 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 (5).
(7) The exercise of any discretion relating to the institution, conduct or discontinuance of civil or criminal proceedings in any court that is vested in any person by the Constitution or any other law shall not be enquired into by any court on the grounds that it contravenes the provisions of subsection (3). (Sec. 33)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
Canada
- EnglishNotwithstanding anything in this Charter3, the rights and freedoms referred to in it are guaranteed equally to male and female persons. (Constitution Act 1982, Sec. 28)
- FrenchIndépendamment des autres dispositions de la présente charte, les droits et libertés qui y sont mentionnés sont garantis également aux personnes des deux sexes. (Loi constitutionnelle de 1982, Sec. 28)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
France
- EnglishThe Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to take part, personally or through their representatives, in its making. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes.
… (1789 Declaration, Art. 6) - FrenchLa Loi est l'expression de la volonté générale. Tous les Citoyens ont droit de concourir personnellement, ou par leurs Représentants, à sa formation. Elle doit être la même pour tous, soit qu'elle protège, soit qu'elle punisse.
… (Déclaration 1789, Art. 6)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
Congo
- EnglishAll Congolese citizens are equal before the law and have right to the protection of the State.
None may be favored or disadvantaged by virtue of their family origin, ethnic [origin], of their social condition, of their political, religious, philosophical, or other convictions. (Art. 15) - FrenchTous les citoyens congolais sont égaux devant la loi et ont droit à la protection de l’Etat.
Nul ne peut être favorisé ou désavantagé en raison de son origine familiale, ethnique, de sa condition sociale, de ses convictions politiques, religieuses, philosophiques ou autres. (Art. 15)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
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.
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
Dominican Republic
- 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
India
- EnglishThe State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. (Art. 14)
- Hindiराज्य, भारत के राज्यक्षेत्र में किसी व्यक्ति को विधि के समक्ष समता से या विधियों के समान संरक्षण से वंचित नहीं करेगा। (अनुच्छेद 14)