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.
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
Vulnerable Groups
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. |
|---|
Human rights defenders
Loi L/2005/013/AN on associations and Loi L/2005/014/AN on NGOs (4 July 2005)
These laws regulate associations and NGOs. Guinea has no specific law on human rights defenders.
Gaps: A 2017 draft law on the protection of human rights defenders was never adopted.
Source: guineenews.org
Women and girls with disabilities
Loi L/2018/021/AN du 15 mai 2018 portant protection et promotion des personnes handicapées
General law on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Source: journal-officiel.sgg.gov.gn
Access to justice and legal aid
Loi L/2022/12/CNT du 23 septembre 2022 portant aide juridictionnelle
Organises legal aid. Promulgated in October 2022.
Source: guineenews.org
Older persons
No specific law on older persons
Organisations of older persons asked the government in 2022 to adopt a law on ageing.
Gaps: No law on the rights of older persons.
Source: guineenews.org
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. 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.
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (28)
- data.ipu.org · elections
- girlsnotbrides.org · guinea
- documents1.worldbank.org · P179153 156eebab c7a8 46ea aefa ab7ca80708a0
- 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…
- ntucphl.org · article 3
- 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 · the budapest convention
- data.ipu.org · data on women
- idea.int · guinea
- idea.int · september 2025
- idea.int · december 2025
- idea.int · june 2025
- data.ipu.org · GN
- eeas.europa.eu · EU study: Les droits des femmes en Guinée
- coi.euaa.europa.eu · EUAA COI query: Guinea forced marriage 2024
- wbl.worldbank.org · World Bank WBL 2.0 Guinea 2024
- ecoi.net · IRB response on FGM in Guinea
- wcaro.unfpa.org · UNFPA: Legal frameworks on FGM
- unwomen.org · UN Women: Guinea adopts Law on Parity
- extranet.who.int · WHO health legislation database
- humandignitytrust.org · Human Dignity Trust: Guinea
Other countries in West 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.
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