ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 raises the central question of the book: Do constitutional rights matter for women’s equality? To understand whether constitutional gender provisions increase gender equality—and if they do, what the mechanism is—it is important to look systematically for patterns across the world. This introductory chapter previews why constitutional rights and gender provisions matter for women’s equality. It makes the case that constitutional provisions fall into three broad categories (gender-neutral, egalitarian, and maternal) and that the way women’s and gender equality is recognized has implications for women’s social, political, and economic equality. The chapter defines the book’s key terms and provides a summary of the argument, explaining how and why constitutional provisions matter for social change and highlighting the methods, core arguments, and central findings. It concludes with a chapter-by-chapter overview of the book.
