Guidance Note on Women's Human Rights and National Constitutions

This guidance note provides an overview of some of the key considerations which UN Women country offices should keep in mind when providing support for the creation or reform of national constitutions. It addresses questions of process, such as the participation of women in constitution-making of governance structures, such the impact of constitutional choices about electoral systems and decentralized power and of substantive content, such as gender equality and non-discrimination guarantees and the constitutional interaction between gender equality and religious or customary laws. The note is divided into three main sections: 1. The constitution-making and constitutional reform processes 2. Constitutional provisions and 3. The role of the UN.