DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Djibouti
East Africa · Country law profile
Djibouti: women’s rights and civic space laws
Djibouti ratified CEDAW in 1998 and the Maputo Protocol in 2005. It criminalised FGM in its Penal Code and adopted a law on the protection of women and children victims of violence in 2020, yet marital rape is not criminalised and FGM prevalence remains high. The Family Code of 2002 sets 18 as the marriage age but keeps male guardianship and unequal inheritance shares. The Code is under revision. Civic space is rated closed by the CIVICUS Monitor.
At a glance
| Capital | Djibouti |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Mixed system based on French civil law, Islamic law (applied through the Family Code to Muslims) and customary law |
| Official languages | French and Arabic |
Key indicators
26.2% (17 of 65)Women in National Assembly (2026)
18 for both sexesMinimum legal age of marriage (2024)
About 13%Women married before 18
78.4%FGM prevalence (women 15 to 49) (2012)
383 per 100,000 live birthsMaternal mortality ratio (2012)
71.3World Bank Women, Business and the Law 1.0 index (2024)
50.0World Bank Women, Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks score (2024)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 18/12/2003 / ratified 02/02/2005 / deposited 04/02/2005 | |
| CEDAW | accession 02/12/1998 | |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | Not a party | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | signed 28/02/1992 / ratified 03/01/2011 / deposited 25/01/2011 | |
| ICCPR | accession 05/11/2002 | |
| Kampala Convention | signed 23/10/2009 / ratified 15/07/2015 / deposited 03/08/2015 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | signed 12/05/2023; not ratified (AU list dated 02/02/2026) |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of 1992, revised by the Constitutional Law of 2010 |
|---|---|
| Equality guarantees | Article 1 sets the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex and equality before the law. Under Article 70, ratified treaties prevail over national laws. |
| Quotas or parity | A 2002 law set a 10% quota for women in elected posts and senior administration; a 2018 law raised it to at least 25% of each sex in legislative elections. |
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
Law on the protection, prevention and care of women and children victims of violence (February 2020)
Provides a legal framework for preventing violence against women and children, including FGM, and for caring for victims.
Gaps: Domestic violence is not specifically criminalised, and the CEDAW Committee raised concern about cases being settled out of court.
Source: ohchr.org, equalitynow.org
Rape and sexual offences
Code pénal (1994), as revised in 2009
Criminalises rape and other sexual offences.
Gaps: Marital rape is not criminalised.
Source: equalitynow.org, rf-efh.org
Sexual harassment
Code du travail, Loi n° 133/AN/05/5ème L du 28 janvier 2006, as reformed in 2018
Protects workers against moral and sexual harassment with precise definitions and shifts the burden of proof to the employer once harassment is presumed.
Source: rf-efh.org
Sexual harassment
Code pénal (harassment provisions)
Provides criminal sanctions for sexual harassment.
Source: ohchr.org, equalitynow.org
Female genital mutilation
Code pénal as amended by Loi n° 55/AN/09/6ème L du 19 juillet 2009
Criminalises FGM and simplifies complaint procedures, building on the 1994 Penal Code ban.
Gaps: Enforcement is weak, including against accomplices, and prevalence was 78.4% in 2012.
Source: rf-efh.org, equalitynow.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Code de la famille (2002), Article 14
Sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both women and men.
Gaps: Exceptions to the minimum age remain, according to Equality Now.
Source: rf-efh.org, equalitynow.org
Family and personal status
Code de la famille (2002), Articles 7, 22, 31 and 62
Applies to Muslims and requires a male tutor’s consent for a woman’s marriage. It names the husband head of the family and permits polygamy with judicial recourse for wives. Article 62 sets maintenance rights.
Gaps: The Code is under revision to remove discriminatory provisions.
Source: rf-efh.org, ohchr.org
Family and personal status
Code civil (2018), Article 163
Governs family matters for non-Muslims and sets the marriage age at 18.
Source: rf-efh.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Law of 25 June 2003 supplementing the Family Code
Set up personal status courts in place of the former Sharia courts.
Source: rf-efh.org
Inheritance and succession
Code de la famille (2002), Articles 115 to 118, 120, 130, 142 and 158
Gives male heirs double the share of female heirs in the same position.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee identified inheritance as a discriminatory gap in the Family Code.
Source: rf-efh.org, ohchr.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Code pénal (abortion provisions)
Abortion is prohibited except to save the woman’s life.
Source: ohchr.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Loi n° 48/AN/99/4ème L du 3 juillet 1999 on health policy
Sets the orientation of national health policy.
Source: rf-efh.org
Political participation and quotas
Quota law of 2002, amended in 2018
The 2002 law set a 10% minimum for women in elected posts and the administration; the 2018 amendment requires at least 25% of candidates and elected members of either sex in legislative elections.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee noted cultural obstacles to women’s participation.
Political participation and quotas
Loi n° 154/AN/12/6ème L on the National Gender Policy 2011 to 2021
Made the National Gender Policy the reference framework and named the Ministry of Women and Family as coordinator.
Source: rf-efh.org
Nationality
Code de la nationalité (2004)
Allows mothers to pass Djiboutian nationality directly to their children on the same basis as fathers.
Source: ohchr.org
Civic space
| CIVICUS Monitor rating | Closed (12/100) |
|---|---|
| Human rights defenders law | No specific law protecting human rights defenders |
| Notes | Djibouti’s civic space is rated closed, one of the lowest ratings in Africa. |
Recent developments
- 2018. The electoral quota for women in legislative elections was raised to 25%.
- February 2020. A law on the protection of women and children victims of violence was adopted.
- 12 May 2023. Djibouti signed the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection.
- February 2024. The CEDAW Committee reviewed Djibouti, welcoming progress and noting remaining gaps in the Family Code.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Criminalise marital rape and adopt a specific domestic violence offence with protection orders.
- Complete the revision of the Family Code to end male guardianship in marriage and unequal inheritance shares.
- Remove exceptions to the minimum age of marriage of 18.
- Strengthen enforcement of the FGM ban, including prosecution of accomplices.
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: harmful practices, land and property, girls’ education, labour and maternity, social protection, trafficking, online violence and cybercrime, data protection, older persons, women and girls with disabilities, human rights defenders, same-sex relations. Corrections and documents are welcome at programs@rflgd.org.
African Union treaties
Status of 29 African Union treaties as recorded in the official AU status lists published by the African Union Commission. The date of each list is shown: a ratification deposited after that date may not appear yet. 5 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (13)
- data.ipu.org · data on women
- rf-efh.org · dj
- equalitynow.org · laws and protections on ending violence against women and…
- wbl.worldbank.org · WBL2024 Economy Scores
- au.int · 37077 sl PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEO…
- treaties.un.org · iv 8.en
- treaties.un.org · iv 8 b.en
- au.int · 36804 sl AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE…
- treaties.un.org · IV 4.en
- au.int · 36846 sl AFRICAN UNION CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION AND …
- au.int · 29560 sl AFRICAN UNION CONVENTION ON CYBER SECURITY AND P…
- ohchr.org · experts committee elimination discrimination against wome…
- monitor.civicus.org · data
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Information verified as of October 2026. This page is for information and advocacy and is not legal advice. Laws change: check the official text before relying on it. Part of the DƆNÙESÈ Data Center of the Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD). See also the Maputo Protocol Hub and the Maputo Barometer.