DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Mali
West Africa · Country law profile
Mali: women’s rights and civic space laws
Mali is governed by a military-led transition: the revised Transitional Charter enacted on 10 July 2025 gives the transitional president a five-year mandate renewable until ‘pacification’, and all political parties were dissolved by decree in May 2025. The legislature is the appointed National Transitional Council, where women hold 40 of 133 seats (30.1 per cent); Law No. 2015-052 bars electoral lists with more than 70 per cent of either sex. The 2011 Code of Persons and the Family sets the marriage age at 16 for girls and 18 for boys, and 49 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 married before 18. A new Penal Code adopted in late 2024 criminalises same-sex relations with up to seven years’ imprisonment, and critics of the authorities have been prosecuted for social media posts.
At a glance
| Capital | Bamako |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Civil law system of French inspiration, with customary and religious rules applied in personal and family matters |
Key indicators
30.1%Women in National Transitional Council (appointed) (2026)
16 for girls, 18 for boysMinimum legal age of marriage (2011)
49% (14% before 15)Women aged 20 to 24 married before 18
50.33World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks score (2026)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 09/12/2003 / ratified 13/01/2005 / deposited 03/02/2005 | None recorded on AU status list |
| CEDAW | signed 05/02/1985 / ratified 10/09/1985 | None recorded |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | accession 05/12/2000 | None recorded |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | signed 28/02/1996 / ratified 03/06/1998 / deposited 14/08/1998 | None recorded on AU status list |
| ILO C190 Violence and Harassment Convention | Not ratified (as of May 2026) | |
| ILO C100 Equal Remuneration Convention | ratified 12/07/1968 | |
| ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention | ratified 02/03/1964 | |
| ICCPR | accession 16/07/1974 | None recorded |
| Kampala Convention | signed 23/11/2009 / ratified 07/11/2012 / deposited 26/11/2012 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed or ratified (AU list of 02/02/2026) | |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | Not a party |
Constitution
| Quotas or parity | Law No. 2015-052 of 18 December 2015: an electoral list of three or more candidates may not include more than 70 per cent of either men or women. Electoral Law No. 2022-019 of 24 June 2022 rejects lists exceeding that threshold. |
|---|
National laws
Child marriage and age of marriage
Code of Persons and the Family (2011)
Sets the minimum age of marriage at 16 for girls and 18 for boys; persons over 15 may marry with authorisation of the head of the administrative district and parental consent.
Gaps: Below the age of 18 set by Article 6 of the Maputo Protocol. The national strategy for ending child marriage covered 2020 to 2023.
Source: girlsnotbrides.org
Political participation and quotas
Law No. 2015-052 of 18 December 2015; Electoral Law No. 2022-019 of 24 June 2022
Electoral lists with three or more candidates may not include more than 70 per cent of either sex; non-compliant lists are rejected.
Gaps: The current National Transitional Council is appointed by decree, and political parties were dissolved in May 2025, so the quota has no electoral application during the transition.
Source: data.ipu.org
Gender-based and domestic violence
No specific law on gender-based or domestic violence
Mali has no dedicated statute on gender-based or domestic violence; a draft bill has been under discussion for years.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee and the World Bank found no legislation addressing domestic violence.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Sexual harassment
No specific provision on sexual harassment in employment
The World Bank Women, Business and the Law review found no legal provision on sexual harassment at work and no civil or criminal remedy.
Gaps: Assessment dates from 2020 and predates the 2024 Penal Code.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Female genital mutilation
No specific law criminalising FGM (Code pénal, article 213 not applied)
FGM is not specifically criminalised even though prevalence is about 90 percent; a bill submitted in 2009 has not been adopted.
Gaps: No prosecutions of excision practitioners have been registered under the general Criminal Code provision.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Harmful practices
Loi n° 2011-087 du 30 décembre 2011 portant Code des personnes et de la famille (levirate and bride price)
The Code requires a bride price (article 288) and does not prohibit levirate.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee asked Mali to prohibit levirate and remove the bride price requirement.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Family and personal status
Loi n° 2011-087 du 30 décembre 2011 portant Code des personnes et de la famille, articles 307, 316, 319, 366 and 373
Governs marriage and divorce and permits polygamy. It makes the husband head of household and requires the wife to obey him.
Gaps: Waiting periods before remarriage apply only to divorced women and widows; the Committee described many provisions as discriminatory.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Inheritance and succession
Loi n° 2011-087 du 30 décembre 2011 portant Code des personnes et de la famille, articles 753, 770, 773, 798 and 800
The Code gives sons and daughters, and surviving spouses of either sex, equal inheritance rights under its statutory rules.
Gaps: Customary rules on succession remain recognised through the 2000 Land Code and limit women’s access to inherited land.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Land and property
Loi n° 06-40/AN-RM du 16 août 2006 portant loi d’orientation agricole
The agricultural orientation law removed legal barriers to women’s access to and use of land.
Gaps: The 2000 Land Code still applies customary law to succession and property administration.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Land and property
Loi relative au foncier agricole, promulguée le 11 avril 2017
Requires that 15 percent of developed public agricultural land be allocated to women’s associations and other vulnerable groups, and recognises customary land rights.
Gaps: The law contains no safeguard against gender discrimination within customary land management.
Source: iisd.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Loi n° 02-044 du 24 juin 2002 relative à la santé de la reproduction
Sets the legal framework for reproductive health services and rights in Mali.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Loi n° 06-028 du 29 juin 2006 fixant les règles relatives à la prévention, la prise en charge et le contrôle du VIH/SIDA
Regulates HIV prevention and treatment.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee asked for a review from a gender perspective, including protection of women in prostitution.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Labour and maternity
Loi n° 2017-021 du 12 juin 2017 portant modification du Code du travail, articles L.4, L.95, 179 and 182
Prohibits gender discrimination in employment and requires equal pay for work of equal value. It provides at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Gaps: Women remain barred from some hazardous jobs and industries under article 185 and Décret n° 96-178/P-RM, and dismissal of pregnant workers is not expressly prohibited.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Social protection
Loi n° 99-041 portant Code de prévoyance sociale, articles 31 and 151
Maternity benefits are paid in full by social security, and childcare periods count towards pension entitlements.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Social protection
Loi n° 2018-074 du 31 décembre 2018 instituant le Régime d’assurance maladie universelle
Establishes universal health insurance coverage.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Social protection
Loi n° 2019-025 portant modification du Code du travail, articles 60 nouveau and L60 bis
Sets equal retirement ages for women and men, for full and partial pensions.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Nationality
Loi n° 2011-087 du 30 décembre 2011 portant Code des personnes et de la famille, article 224
Women and men have an equal right to transmit Malian nationality to a foreign spouse and to their children.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Trafficking
Loi du 12 juillet 2012 relative à la lutte contre la traite des personnes et les pratiques assimilées
Criminalises trafficking in persons and related practices.
Gaps: The law does not address gender-specific aspects and lacks an action plan. It is little known to law enforcement.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Code de justice militaire
Prosecution of members of the defence and security forces requires prior permission from the Minister of Defence.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee found this obstructs investigation of conflict-related sexual violence and asked for urgent revision.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Loi n° 2019-056 du 5 décembre 2019 portant répression de la cybercriminalité
Defines and punishes cybercrime offences, including offences involving personal data.
Source: dataprotection.africa
Data protection
Loi n° 2013-015 du 21 mai 2013 portant protection des données à caractère personnel, modifiée par la Loi n° 2017-070 du 18 décembre 2017
Guarantees rights of access and correction over personal data. It also guarantees a right of objection and creates the data protection authority (APDP).
Source: dataprotection.africa
Women and girls with disabilities
Loi n° 2018-027 du 12 juin 2018 relative aux droits des personnes vivant avec un handicap, et Décret n° 2021-0662/PT-RM du 23 septembre 2021
Sets out the rights of persons with disabilities, with an implementing decree adopted in 2021.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Women and girls with disabilities
Loi électorale n° 06-044 du 4 septembre 2006, article 28
Article 28 denied voting rights to persons on the basis of disability, including women with disabilities.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee called for urgent repeal; the provision predates the 2022 Electoral Law.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Human rights defenders
Loi n° 2018-003 du 12 janvier 2018 relative aux défenseurs des droits de l’homme, et Décret n° 2020-0087/P-RM du 18 février 2020
Recognises the rights of human rights defenders and gives the National Human Rights Commission a protection role.
Gaps: The implementing decree limits protection to defenders holding a government-issued professional card and has no specific provisions for women defenders.
Source: ishr.ch
Vulnerable Groups
Loi n° 2024-027 du 13 décembre 2024 portant Code pénal, article 325-2
Criminalises same-sex sexual acts for the first time and punishes speech or acts that promote them.
Source: humandignitytrust.org
Recent developments
- October 2025. A former Prime Minister was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment over a social media post.
- September 2025. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
- 10 July 2025. Revised Transitional Charter enacted, giving the transitional president a five-year mandate renewable until ‘pacification’.
- May 2025. Military authorities dissolved all political parties and affiliated organisations.
- October 2024. New Penal Code criminalising same-sex relations (up to seven years) adopted.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Raise the minimum age of marriage for girls from 16 to 18 in the Code of Persons and the Family, in line with Article 6 of the Maputo Protocol (Girls Not Brides).
- Renew and fund a national strategy on ending child marriage after the 2020 to 2023 strategy (Girls Not Brides).
- Reverse the dissolution of political parties and release people prosecuted for peaceful expression online (International IDEA).
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: rape and sexual offences, girls’ education, 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. 9 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Ratified 13/01/2005 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 21/12/1981 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 03/06/1998 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 10/05/2000 | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Ratified 13/08/2013 | 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 | Ratified 18/02/2021 | 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 21/08/2007 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 10/10/1981 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 17/12/2004 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (27)
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- girlsnotbrides.org · mali
- 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 · mali
- idea.int · july 2025
- idea.int · september 2025
- idea.int · october 2025
- data.ipu.org · ML
- digitallibrary.un.org · CEDAW concluding observations 2016
- wbl.worldbank.org · World Bank WBL 2020 Mali
- iisd.org · IISD: Une nouvelle loi pour sécuriser les terres
- digitallibrary.un.org · CRPD replies to list of issues 2025
- dataprotection.africa · Data Protection Africa: Mali
- ishr.ch · ISHR national protection: Mali
- humandignitytrust.org · Human Dignity Trust: Mali
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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