DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Gabon
Central Africa · Country law profile
Gabon: women’s rights and civic space laws
Gabon has ratified the Maputo Protocol, CEDAW and its Optional Protocol, and the ICCPR. A 2025 Electoral Code requires at least 30% women among candidates, and women won 21.6% of National Assembly seats in the 2025 elections. In 2015 civil society told the CEDAW Committee that the Civil Code made the husband head of household, kept polygamy and discriminatory inheritance rules, and that women faced legal barriers to land. Gabon is not a party to the Malabo or Budapest cyber conventions.
At a glance
| Capital | Libreville |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Civil law system based on French civil law, with customary law |
| Official languages | French |
Key indicators
21.6%Women in National Assembly (2026)
29%Women who had experienced gender-based violence (2015)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 27 Jan 2005 / ratified 10 Jan 2011 / deposited 10 Feb 2011 | |
| CEDAW | signed 17 Jul 1980 / ratified 21 Jan 1983 | |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | acceded 5 Nov 2004 | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | signed 27 Feb 1992 / ratified 18 May 2007 / deposited 12 Jun 2007 | None listed |
| ILO C100 Equal Remuneration | ratified 13 Jun 1961 | |
| ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) | ratified 29 May 1961 | |
| ICCPR | acceded 21 Jan 1983 | |
| Kampala Convention | signed 29 Jan 2010 / ratified 26 Jan 2011 / deposited 21 Feb 2011 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed (AU list as at 2 Feb 2026) | |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | Not a party |
Constitution
| Quotas or parity | 2025 Electoral Code, Article 83: at least 30% of candidates for the National Assembly, Senate, local councils and boards must be women (and at least 20% young people aged 35 or under) |
|---|
National laws
Political participation and quotas
Electoral Code, 2025 (Article 83)
At least 30% of candidates for the National Assembly, Senate, local councils and boards must be women.
Source: data.ipu.org
Gender-based and domestic violence
Loi n°006/2021 du 6 septembre 2021 portant élimination des violences faites aux femmes
Defines domestic violence as physical, sexual, economic and psychological abuse and creates protection orders and special procedures. It sets heavy penalties for violence against a spouse.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Rape and sexual offences
Loi n°006/2021 du 6 septembre 2021 portant élimination des violences faites aux femmes, articles 36, 37, 44 et 45
Explicitly criminalises marital rape, with penalties of up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 50 million CFA francs, and gives no exemption to a perpetrator who later marries the victim.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Rape and sexual offences
Loi n°005/2021 du 6 septembre 2021 portant modification de certaines dispositions de la loi n°006/2020 du 30 juin 2020 portant Code pénal
Revised Penal Code provisions on rape and its aggravating circumstances, and on sexual abuse of children.
Source: clientearth.fr
Sexual harassment
Loi n°010/2016 du 5 septembre 2016 (harcèlement en milieu professionnel)
Provides civil remedies for sexual harassment at work, covering unwanted advances and requests for sexual favours. It also covers other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Sexual harassment
Loi n°005/2021 du 6 septembre 2021 modifiant le Code pénal, article 402
The 2021 Penal Code revision defines and criminalises sexual and moral harassment and increases penalties for harassment at work.
Source: ohchr.org
Female genital mutilation
Code pénal (loi n°006/2020 du 30 juin 2020, modifiée par la loi n°005/2021)
Gabon prohibited FGM by law in 2008 and the revised Penal Code increased penalties for the practice.
Gaps: CEDAW experts noted that the prevalence of FGM in Gabon is not clearly documented.
Source: ohchr.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Loi n°004/2021 du 15 septembre 2021 modifiant la loi n°15/72 du 29 juillet 1972 portant Code civil, article 203
Sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Loi n°006/2020 du 30 juin 2020 portant Code pénal, articles 264 et 265
Criminalises forced marriage and sexual abuse of children.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Family and personal status
Loi n°004/2021 du 15 septembre 2021 modifiant la loi n°15/72 du 29 juillet 1972 portant Code civil
Removes the wife’s duty of obedience, allows divorce by mutual consent, prohibits repudiation, gives spouses joint choice of residence and joint administration of marital property.
Gaps: Polygamy remains a legal option and women still face a 300-day waiting period before remarriage.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Inheritance and succession
Loi n°004/2021 du 15 septembre 2021 modifiant le Code civil, article 647
Recognises equal succession rights for daughters and surviving spouses and protects widows and orphans against expulsion from the family home.
Gaps: Inheritance rights of a widow depend on a legally registered marriage.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Land and property
Loi n°004/2021 du 15 septembre 2021 modifiant le Code civil, articles 261 et 335
Grants women equal property rights and provides for joint administration of marital property by both spouses.
Gaps: CEDAW experts raised concern about social resistance to women’s equal decision-making over agricultural land.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Labour and maternity
Loi n°022/2021 du 19 novembre 2021 portant Code du travail
Provides at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, paternity and parental leave, equal pay for work of equal value, protection against dismissal during pregnancy and an equal retirement age.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Labour and maternity
Loi n°005/2021 du 6 septembre 2021 modifiant le Code pénal, article 291
Defines discrimination against women, including in access to financial services, and punishes it with up to two years’ imprisonment and fines of up to 5 million CFA francs.
Gaps: CEDAW experts noted that the law still lacks a clear definition of direct and indirect discrimination.
Source: ohchr.org
Social protection
Loi n°1/2005 du 4 février 2005 portant Statut général des fonctionnaires, article 149
Sets an equal retirement age for women and men in the civil service.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Code pénal (loi n°006/2020 du 30 juin 2020, modifiée par la loi n°005/2021): interruption volontaire de grossesse
Abortion was decriminalised for women in a situation of distress.
Gaps: CEDAW experts noted that access to abortion remains limited.
Source: ohchr.org
Trafficking
Loi n°006/2020 du 30 juin 2020 portant Code pénal, articles 225 à 225-7
Criminalises trafficking in persons of all ages, extending earlier legislation that covered only child trafficking.
Gaps: No national action plan or inter-ministerial coordination committee on trafficking had been set up in 2022.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Trafficking
Loi n°09/2004 relative à la prévention et à la lutte contre le trafic des enfants
Specific law on preventing and combating child trafficking.
Gaps: The government reports the law is under revision.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Nationality
Loi n°37/1998 du 20 juillet 1999 portant Code de la nationalité, articles 11 et 13
Governs how Gabonese nationality is conferred on children and spouses.
Gaps: The World Bank notes these provisions are under review for gender equality.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Loi n°4/82 du 22 juillet 1982 (régime de l’assistance judiciaire)
Sets the regime for free legal aid, with eligibility conditions in the Code of Civil Procedure.
Gaps: CEDAW experts noted insufficient funding for legal aid and few courts in rural areas.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Loi n°003/2018 du 8 février 2019 portant Code de l’enfant
Child Code that protects children, including girls, against abuse and trafficking.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Loi n°027/2023 du 12 juillet 2023 (cybersécurité et lutte contre la cybercriminalité)
Framework law on cybersecurity and cybercrime offences.
Online violence and cybercrime
Ordonnance n°0011/PR/2026 du 26 février 2026 portant règlementation de l’usage des réseaux sociaux via les plateformes numériques en République Gabonaise
Prohibits sexual deepfakes of an identifiable person made without consent and requires platforms to act within 72 hours on reports of cyberharassment involving minors.
Gaps: It does not address gender-based online violence as a distinct category and imposes mandatory user identification.
Data protection
Loi n°025/2023 (protection des données à caractère personnel)
Updates the rules on personal data protection, supervised by the Autorité pour la Protection des Données Personnelles et de la Vie Privée.
Same-sex relations
Code pénal, revision of 2020
Parliament voted in 2020 to remove the offence of homosexuality that had been introduced in the 2019 Penal Code, so consensual same-sex relations are no longer criminalised.
Source: news.yahoo.com
Recent developments
- September 2026. UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances published findings on Gabon.
- May 2026. UN Committee against Torture published findings on Gabon’s second periodic report.
- 2025. Legislative elections held under the 2025 Electoral Code with a 30% minimum for women candidates; women won 30 of 139 seats (21.6%).
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Guarantee women’s equal rights to land and property in law (raised by NGOs to the CEDAW Committee).
- Ratify ILO C190 and the AU Malabo Convention.
- Monitor and enforce the 30% candidate quota in the 2025 Electoral Code.
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: harmful practices, girls’ education, older persons, women and girls with disabilities, human rights defenders. 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. 7 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (20)
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- ohchr.org · civil society representatives brief cedaw situation women…
- maputoprotocol.up.ac.za · gabon
- whatconvention.org · 97
- treaties.un.org · iv 8 b.en
- acerwc.africa · ratifications
- whatconvention.org · 119
- whatconvention.org · 120
- 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…
- coe.int · parties observers
- data.ipu.org · GA
- ohchr.org · gabon
- wbl.worldbank.org · Women, Business and the Law 2023 data update: Gabon
- clientearth.fr · Journal officiel n°131: loi n°005/2021
- ohchr.org · CEDAW review of Gabon, press release 2022
- digitallibrary.un.org · Gabon second report to the Committee against Torture
- droit-et-politique-en-afrique.info · Journal officiel n°110, avril 2026
- news.yahoo.com · AFP: Gabon lawmakers vote to decriminalise homosexuality
Other countries in Central Africa
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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.