DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Lesotho
Southern Africa · Country law profile
Lesotho: women’s rights and civic space laws
Lesotho is party to the Maputo Protocol (2004), CEDAW (1995), the Optional Protocol to CEDAW (2004), the ICCPR (1992) and ILO Convention 190, which it ratified on 15 March 2023. It keeps a reservation to Article 2 of CEDAW to the extent it conflicts with constitutional rules on succession to the throne. Lesotho ratified the Malabo Convention on cyber security in February 2025.
At a glance
| Capital | Maseru |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Dual system: Roman-Dutch common law alongside Basotho customary law, under a constitutional monarchy |
| Official languages | Sesotho, English |
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 27/02/2004 / ratified 26/10/2004 / deposited 05/11/2004 | Not listed among the nine States with reservations (ACHPR, 2026) |
| CEDAW | signed 17/07/1980 / ratified 22/08/1995 | Reservation: not bound by Article 2 to the extent it conflicts with constitutional stipulations on succession to the throne |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | signed 06/09/2000 / ratified 24/09/2004 | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | ratified 27/09/1999 / deposited 29/10/1999 (no prior signature recorded) | |
| ILO C190 (violence and harassment) | ratified 15/03/2023 | |
| ILO C111 (discrimination in employment) | ratified 27/01/1998 | |
| ICCPR | acceded 09/09/1992 | None listed |
| Kampala Convention | signed 20/12/2010 / ratified 19/01/2012 / deposited 20/02/2012 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security (Malabo) | signed 30/11/2023 / ratified 05/02/2025 / deposited 16/02/2025 | |
| Budapest Convention on cybercrime | Not a party or signatory (not listed) |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of Lesotho, 1993 (amended several times) |
|---|
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
Counter Domestic Violence Act, 2022
Lesotho’s first dedicated domestic violence law, providing protection for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.
Gaps: Treaty bodies note that gender-based violence remains persistent and call for adequate resources and a disability-inclusive, child-friendly approach to implementation.
Source: acerwc.africa
Rape and sexual offences
Sexual Offences Act, 2003
Main law on sexual offences, covering rape and sexual acts with children.
Gaps: The Act distinguishes between victims below and above 16 years, and the ACERWC recommends aligning protection with the definition of a child as under 18.
Source: acerwc.africa
Sexual harassment
Labour Code Order, 1992 (Order No. 24 of 1992), as amended
The labour framework prohibits sex discrimination in employment and was the basis for workplace protections until replaced by the Labour Act 2024.
Gaps: There are no explicit legal protections against sexual harassment in educational settings.
Source: worldpolicycenter.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Marriage Act, 1974
Governs civil marriage and its minimum age rules.
Gaps: Customary marriages are exempt from age restrictions, and girls under 16 and boys under 18 may marry with ministerial permission and parental consent.
Source: worldpolicycenter.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Children’s Protection and Welfare (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (pending)
Endorsed by Cabinet, the bill would criminalise child marriage.
Gaps: Still awaiting parliamentary approval, so child marriage is not yet criminalised.
Source: acerwc.africa
Harmful practices
Protection and Administration of Custom on Initiation School Bill, 2023 (pending)
The bill would criminalise the initiation of children into traditional initiation schools.
Gaps: Pending adoption and implementation.
Source: acerwc.africa
Family and personal status
Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act
Removed the marital power of husbands and the minority status of married women, giving wives legal capacity to contract and own property.
Gaps: Customary law, including the codified Laws of Lerotholi, continues to govern many family matters.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Inheritance and succession
Harmonization of the Rights of Customary Widows with the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act, 2022
Grants widows married under customary law inheritance rights and harmonises their status with the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act.
Source: ohchr.org
Inheritance and succession
Chieftainship Act, 1968, section 10
Regulates succession to chieftainship.
Gaps: Section 10 limits succession to males, which is identified as discriminatory against women.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Land and property
Land Act, 2010
Recognises joint ownership of land by spouses and created a Land Division of the High Court.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Penal Code Act, 2010 (Act No. 6 of 2012), section 45
Criminalises abortion with exceptions where a medical practitioner acts to prevent significant harm to the woman’s health or in cases of severe foetal impairment. An exception also applies where the pregnancy results from rape or incest.
Gaps: Health and foetal impairment grounds require written opinions from a second registered medical practitioner.
Source: antislaverylaw.ac.uk
Girls’ education
Education Act, 2010
Makes primary education free and compulsory.
Gaps: Compulsory education ends at 13 while the minimum employment age is 15, leaving a protection gap.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Political participation and quotas
Local Government (Amendment) Act
Reserves 30 percent of local council seats for women.
Gaps: No equivalent legislated quota applies to the National Assembly.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Labour and maternity
Labour Act No. 3 of 2024
Replaces the Labour Code Order 1992, extends maternity leave to 14 weeks, grants three weeks after a stillbirth and introduces 14 days of paternity leave.
Source: ensafrica.com
Nationality
Lesotho Citizenship Order, 1971
Governs acquisition and loss of citizenship.
Gaps: It has no provision granting citizenship to abandoned children, and section 10 requires stateless persons to be 18 before applying.
Source: acerwc.africa
Trafficking
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, 2011, as amended in 2021
Criminalises trafficking in persons; the 2021 amendment redefined trafficking and removed the option of a fine instead of imprisonment.
Source: ohchr.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Legal Aid Act No. 19 of 1978
Establishes a legal aid framework for indigent persons.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Online violence and cybercrime
No enacted cybercrime law; Cybercrime Bill 2026 and Cybersecurity Bill 2026 in preparation
Cabinet split the earlier Computer Crime and Cyber Security Bill into separate cybercrime and cybersecurity bills, which were under stakeholder consultation in September 2026.
Gaps: Online gender-based violence is not yet addressed by a dedicated statute.
Source: lena.gov.ls
Data protection
Data Protection Act, 2011
Protects the right to privacy through rules on processing of personal data.
Gaps: The Data Protection Commission had not been established as of 2023 because of funding constraints.
Source: ohchr.org
Women and girls with disabilities
Persons with Disability Equity Act, 2021
Provides for equal rights and access for persons with disabilities, including access to schools and public facilities.
Gaps: Implementation is limited by stigma and social exclusion. Inadequate infrastructure is another barrier.
Source: acerwc.africa
Human rights defenders
Societies Act No. 20 of 1966
Governs the registration of societies and associations.
Gaps: Lesotho has no specific law on human rights defenders.
Source: nyulawglobal.org
Human rights defenders
Public Meetings and Processions Act, 2010
Regulates public assemblies and requires advance notice to police, who must respond within 48 hours.
Source: ohchr.org
Same-sex relations
Penal Code Act, 2010
The Penal Code is silent on sodomy, and the government told the Human Rights Committee that consensual sexual relations between men have been decriminalised.
Gaps: Experts noted that the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act still allows arrest without warrant for sodomy.
Source: ohchr.org
Recent developments
- 5 February 2025. Lesotho ratifies the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (deposited 16/02/2025)
- 15 March 2023. Lesotho deposits ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment, with C151 and C187
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: female genital mutilation, social protection, older persons. 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. 10 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (18)
- 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…
- ilo.org · lesotho ratifies three ilo conventions
- 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
- achpr.au.int · lifting reservations maputo protocol eng
- acerwc.africa · ACERWC concluding observations on Lesotho
- worldpolicycenter.org · WORLD Policy Analysis Center brief on Lesotho, 2024
- nyulawglobal.org · Globalex: The Law and Legal Research in Lesotho
- ohchr.org · Human Rights Committee dialogue with Lesotho, July 2023
- antislaverylaw.ac.uk · Lesotho Penal Code Act 2010 (text)
- ensafrica.com · ENS: Lesotho’s updated Labour Act
- lena.gov.ls · Lesotho News Agency, September 2026
Other countries in Southern Africa
AngolaCountry law profileBotswanaCountry law profileComorosCountry law profileEswatiniCountry law profileMadagascarCountry law profileMalawiCountry law profileMauritiusCountry law profileMozambiqueCountry law profileNamibiaCountry law profileSeychellesCountry law profileSouth AfricaCountry law profileTanzaniaCountry law profileZambiaCountry law profileZimbabweCountry 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.