Legislation

Throughout this knowledge module, reference to certain provisions or sections of a piece of legislation, part of a legal judgment, or aspect of a practice does not imply that the legislation, judgment, or practice is considered in its entirety to be a good example or a promising practice.

Some of the laws cited herein may contain provisions which authorize the death penalty. In light of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions 62/149, 63/168, 65/206, and 67/176 calling for a moratorium on and ultimate abolition of capital punishment, the death penalty should not be included in sentencing provisions for crimes of violence against women and girls.

Other Provisions Related to Domestic Violence LawsResources for Developing Legislation on Domestic Violence
Sexual Harassment in Sport Tools for Drafting Sexual Harassment Laws and Policies
Immigration Provisions Resources for developing legislation on sex trafficking of women and girls
Child Protection Provisions Resources on Forced and Child Marriage
Other provisions related to dowry-related and domestic violence laws
Related Tools

Overview

Last edited: March 01, 2011

This content is available in

Options
or
Options

Broad based anti-discrimination laws focus on protecting individuals based on a specific characteristic that may make them more vulnerable to discrimination, such as sex, race, age, or sexual orientation, for example. Anti-discrimination legislation is focused on effectively eradicating discrimination, of which punishing perpetrators may only be a small part. The use of anti-discrimination legislation to prohibit sexual harassment was pioneered in the United States, which addresses sexual harassment at the federal level through Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. (See: Approaches to and Remedies under Sexual Harassment Law, StopVAW, The Advocates for Human Rights)