Country South Africa
Year 2012
Type of Measure Violence against women > Constitutional provision
Form of Violence Violence against women and girls

Brief Description


Section 12 of the Constitution adopted in 1996, and amended in 2012, includes the following provisions:

1) Everyone has the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right -
(c) to be free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources;
(d) not to be tortured in any way; and
(e) not to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhuman or degrading way.

(2) Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right –
(a) to make decisions concerning reproduction;
(b) to security in and control over their body;
(c) not to be subjected to medical or scientific experiments without their informed consent.

Source of Information

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 (amended in 2012), UN Women Constitutional Database

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