Women and Constitutions in Action

Abstract

What is the significance of ‘the woman question’ to our understanding of constitutions in action? Recent work on women and constitution-building has focused on textual provisions for women’s equality and the participation of women in the process of constitution making. In contrast, this Policy Brief focuses on how constitutional governance in practice affects women. By shifting the focus in this way, we hope to respond to a broader range of challenges and opportunities that women encounter in ensuring that constitutional practices and institutions are inclusive of women, represent the interests of women, and respect women’s right to substantive equality.