Section 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides the right to equality as the first right in our Constitution.

This right is the engine charged with delivering the South African nation into a future of possibilities while taking into account the impact of the past and the possibility of a shared future, united in our diversity. The recognition of diversity will be key in emphasising and realising this right in full. The right to equality is the key to advancing race and gender equality and simultaneously striving towards a society where all men and women are equally able to achieve their full potential.

The only way to realise this right is to consistently apply the same treatment across all people in South Africa and disregard arbitrary characteristics such as gender, race and age. The Constitution commits the state to the goal of achieving equality.