DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Guinea

West Africa · Country law profile

Guinea: women’s rights and civic space laws

Guinea adopted a new Constitution by referendum on 21 September 2025, replacing the Transitional Charter that followed the 2021 coup; it creates a Senate and a seven-year presidential term, and its electoral provisions favour women candidates in the allocation of proportional seats. The transitional leader won the December 2025 presidential election with main opposition leaders barred, and the May 2026 legislative elections produced a National Assembly that is 40.8 per cent women. Child marriage (47 per cent of women married before 18) and FGM (95 per cent prevalence) remain very high, and the Children’s Code allows the President to authorise marriage under 18. Civic space has been marked by party suspensions and dissolutions, media bans and enforced disappearances of opposition figures.

Women leaders at an RFLD convening. RFLD member organisations use these laws in their advocacy. Photo: RFLD, taken with the consent of participants.

At a glance

Capital	Conakry
Legal system	Civil law system of French inspiration, alongside customary and Islamic norms in family matters

Key indicators

40.8% (60 of 147)Women in National Assembly (2026)

18Minimum legal age of marriage, with presidential exceptions (2008)

47% (17% before 15)Women aged 20 to 24 married before 18

95%FGM prevalence

61.88World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks score (2026)

Regional and international treaties

Treaty	Status	Reservations or notes
Maputo Protocol	signed 16/12/2003 / ratified 16/04/2012 / deposited 17/09/2012	None recorded on AU status list
CEDAW	signed 17/07/1980 / ratified 09/08/1982	None recorded
CEDAW Optional Protocol	Not a party
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child	signed 22/05/1998 / ratified 27/05/1999 / deposited 21/01/2000	None recorded on AU status list
ILO C190 Violence and Harassment Convention	Not ratified (as of May 2026)
ILO C100 Equal Remuneration Convention	ratified 11/08/1967
ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention	ratified 01/09/1960
ICCPR	signed 28/02/1967 / ratified 24/01/1978	Declaration objecting to article 48(1)
Kampala Convention	signed 05/01/2012 / not ratified
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo)	ratified 31/07/2018 / deposited 16/10/2018
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime	Not a party

Constitution

Constitution	Constitution approved by referendum on 21 September 2025 (89.4 per cent yes, confirmed by the Supreme Court on 26 September 2025), replacing the 2021 Transitional Charter
Quotas or parity	Article 105 of the 2025 Constitution: one third of deputies are elected by nationwide proportional representation, with remaining seats allocated in favour of women candidates and candidates with disabilities. Under the Transitional Charter (article 60) at least 30 per cent of designated members had to be women.

National laws

Child marriage and age of marriage

Children’s Code (2008)

Sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage.

Gaps: The President, on request of the Minister of Justice, may authorise marriage before 18 for ‘serious reasons’ with parental consent. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (2019) raised concern about prevalence, impunity of perpetrators and weak protection schemes.

Source: girlsnotbrides.org

Political participation and quotas

Constitution of 2025, article 105; Transitional Charter, article 60

Allocates remaining proportional seats in favour of women candidates and candidates with disabilities; the Transitional Charter required at least 30 per cent women among designated members.

Source: data.ipu.org

Gender-based and domestic violence

Loi n° 2016/059/AN portant Code pénal, article 248

Assault and wounding between spouses is punished under the general provisions on violence; there is no dedicated law on violence against women.

Gaps: The victim can end prosecution when incapacity is under 20 days, and the World Bank found no specific domestic violence legislation.

Source: eeas.europa.eu

Rape and sexual offences

Loi n° 2016/059/AN portant Code pénal, articles 267 to 270

Criminalises rape and other sexual violence.

Gaps: Marital rape is not set out as a distinct offence.

Source: eeas.europa.eu

Rape and sexual offences

Loi L/2019/035/AN du 4 juillet 2019 portant Code civil, article 247

Prohibits marriage between ascendants and descendants and between siblings. It also prohibits marriage between uncles or aunts and their nieces or nephews.

Source: coi.euaa.europa.eu

Sexual harassment

No specific offence of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is not specifically criminalised and the World Bank found no legislation on harassment at work.

Gaps: No civil or criminal remedy exists for workplace sexual harassment.

Source: wbl.worldbank.org

Female genital mutilation

Loi n° 2016/059/AN portant Code pénal, articles 258 to 261

Defines and prohibits all forms of FGM. Penalties are heavier when it causes disability or death. They are also heavier when it is performed in a health facility.

Gaps: Prosecutions are few and sentences are often suspended or light.

Source: ecoi.net

Female genital mutilation

Loi L/2008/011/AN du 19 août 2008 portant Code de l’enfant guinéen, articles 405 to 410

Prohibits all forms of FGM and punishes parents who authorise it. It obliges heads of health facilities to report cases.

Source: ecoi.net

Child marriage and age of marriage

Loi ordinaire L/2019/0059/AN portant Code de l’enfant de la République de Guinée, articles 314 and 829 to 831

Sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage and punishes those who facilitate or celebrate child marriage. Failing to report a child marriage is also punished.

Gaps: A court may still grant age exemptions for legitimate grounds.

Source: coi.euaa.europa.eu

Harmful practices

Loi n° 2016/059/AN portant Code pénal, articles 319 to 322

Prohibits forced and early marriage and punishes sexual acts with children married under customary arrangements.

Gaps: Penalties for forced marriage are short, from three months to one year.

Source: coi.euaa.europa.eu

Family and personal status

Loi L/2019/035/AN du 4 juillet 2019 portant Code civil, articles 241, 242, 245, 286, 305 to 319, 336 and 354

Requires free consent to marriage, sets 18 as marriage age, removes the duty of obedience and gives women equal divorce rights and joint parental authority.

Gaps: Polygamy is allowed up to four wives, and divorced women face a waiting period before remarriage.

Source: eeas.europa.eu

Inheritance and succession

Loi L/2019/035/AN du 4 juillet 2019 portant Code civil, articles 666 to 680 and 695

Sons and daughters have equal inheritance rights.

Gaps: Surviving spouses do not have equal inheritance rights (article 695), and family councils can discriminate in practice.

Source: wbl.worldbank.org

Land and property

Ordonnance n° 92/019 du 30 mars 1992 portant Code foncier et domanial, articles 1 and 2

Together with article 652 of the Civil Code, gives women and men equal rights to own and administer property.

Gaps: Unpaid domestic contributions are not valued in marital property (Civil Code article 619).

Source: wbl.worldbank.org

Abortion and sexual and reproductive health

Loi L/2000/010/AN du 10 juillet 2000 relative à la santé de la reproduction, articles 6 and 13

Sets the framework for reproductive health and protects women and men against violence affecting the genital organs, including FGM.

Source: wcaro.unfpa.org

Political participation and quotas

Loi L/2019/0011/AN du 2 mai 2019 sur la parité

Requires 50 percent women on all candidate lists for national and local elections, with alternation between women and men.

Gaps: Application depends on its incorporation into the Electoral Code.

Source: unwomen.org

Labour and maternity

Code du travail, articles 4, 136.1, 153.1, 231.5 and 241.2

Prohibits gender discrimination in employment and requires equal pay for work of equal value. It grants at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave.

Gaps: Women are still barred from some industrial and dangerous jobs, and there is no paternity leave. Dismissal of pregnant workers is not prohibited.

Source: wbl.worldbank.org

Social protection

Code de la sécurité sociale, articles 49, 53 and 105

Sets equal retirement ages for women and men and credits childcare absences towards pensions.

Gaps: Maternity benefits are shared between employer and the social security fund.

Source: wbl.worldbank.org

Nationality

Loi L/2019/035/AN du 4 juillet 2019 portant Code civil, articles 56, 60, 69 and 70

A child is Guinean if at least one parent is Guinean, and marriage does not affect a woman’s nationality.

Source: eeas.europa.eu

Online violence and cybercrime

Loi L/2016/037/AN relative à la cybersécurité et à la protection des données à caractère personnel

Defines rules and mechanisms to combat cybercrime and secure cyberspace.

Source: extranet.who.int

Data protection

Loi L/2016/037/AN relative à la cybersécurité et à la protection des données à caractère personnel

Provides the legal framework for protecting personal data alongside its cybersecurity provisions.

Source: extranet.who.int

Same-sex relations

Loi n° 2016/059/AN portant Code pénal, article 274

Criminalises same-sex sexual acts between men and between women with six months to three years in prison.

Source: humandignitytrust.org

Civic space

Notes	International IDEA reports excessive police force against protesters (February 2024), the 90-day suspension of three parties (August 2025), continuing bars on the main opposition parties, a new elections directorate placed under the territorial administration ministry (June 2025) and enforced disappearances of opposition figures before the December 2025 election. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged authorities to lift bans on political parties and media outlets. IPU reports that 40 political parties were dissolved in March 2026.

Notes

International IDEA reports excessive police force against protesters (February 2024), the 90-day suspension of three parties (August 2025), continuing bars on the main opposition parties, a new elections directorate placed under the territorial administration ministry (June 2025) and enforced disappearances of opposition figures before the December 2025 election. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged authorities to lift bans on political parties and media outlets. IPU reports that 40 political parties were dissolved in March 2026.

Recent developments

31 May 2026. Legislative elections: 60 women elected to the 147-seat National Assembly (40.8 per cent); the Assembly convened on 17 July 2026, ending the transition.
March 2026. 40 political parties dissolved, including the former ruling party.
28 December 2025. Presidential election won by the transitional leader with 86.7 per cent; major opposition leaders barred.
21 September 2025. New Constitution approved by referendum (89.4 per cent yes), boycotted by the opposition.
August 2025. Three political parties suspended for 90 days.

Reforms recommended

Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.

Remove the presidential exception that allows marriage under 18 in the Children’s Code (Girls Not Brides).
End impunity for child marriage and strengthen protection schemes for children (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2019).
Lift bans on political parties and media outlets (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, September 2025).
Restore an independent election management body (International IDEA, June 2025).
Investigate enforced disappearances of opposition figures (International IDEA, December 2025).

Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: girls’ education, trafficking, access to justice and legal aid, 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. 8 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.

AU treaty	Status	AU list dated
Maputo Protocol (rights of women)	Ratified 16/04/2012	19/09/2023
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights	Ratified 16/02/1982	15/06/2017
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child	Ratified 27/05/1999	14/02/2023
Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights	Signed 2003, not ratified	14/02/2023
African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance	Ratified 17/06/2011	08/07/2024
AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls	Not signed	22/05/2026
Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities	Not signed	22/05/2026
Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons	Signed 2018, not ratified	22/05/2026
Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security	Not signed	22/05/2026
African Youth Charter	Ratified 17/06/2011	19/09/2023
OAU Refugee Convention	Ratified 18/10/1972	16/05/2019
AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption	Ratified 05/03/2012	14/02/2023
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo)	Ratified 31/07/2018	02/02/2026

Other AU treaties (16)

AU treaty	Status	AU list dated
Protocol on Free Movement of Persons	Signed 2018, not ratified	08/08/2023
Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights	Signed 2008, not ratified	18/06/2020
Protocol on Amendments to the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (Malabo Protocol)	Signed 2018, not ratified	22/05/2026
Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union	Signed 2003, not ratified	18/06/2020
Protocol on the Peace and Security Council	Ratified 20/01/2012	27/04/2022
Protocol to the OAU Convention on Terrorism	Ratified 17/06/2011	15/06/2017
OAU Convention on Mercenarism	Ratified 14/03/2003	15/06/2017
Charter on Decentralisation, Local Governance and Local Development	Signed 2018, not ratified	25/03/2022
Charter on Public Service and Administration	Ratified 05/02/2019	08/07/2024
African Charter on Statistics	Signed 2012, not ratified	19/09/2023
Statute of the Pan African Intellectual Property Organization	Signed 2018, not ratified	19/09/2023
African Road Safety Charter	Signed 2018, not ratified	22/05/2026
Revised African Maritime Transport Charter	Signed 2012, not ratified	25/03/2022
Phyto-sanitary Convention for Africa	Not signed	15/06/2017
Convention establishing the African Centre for Fertilizer Development	Signed 2003, not ratified	19/09/2023
Constitution of the Association of African Trade Promotion Organizations	Ratified 13/01/1982	16/05/2019

Sources (28)

Other countries in West Africa

BeninCountry law profile Burkina FasoCountry law profile Cabo VerdeCountry law profile Côte d’IvoireCountry law profile GhanaCountry law profile Guinea-BissauCountry law profile LiberiaCountry law profile MaliCountry law profile NigerCountry law profile NigeriaCountry law profile SenegalCountry law profile Sierra LeoneCountry law profile The GambiaCountry law profile TogoCountry law profile

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.