DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Mozambique
Southern Africa · Country law profile
Mozambique: women’s rights and civic space laws
Mozambique’s 2004 Constitution guarantees equality before the law and states that men and women are equal in every aspect (Articles 35 and 36). The country has a dedicated Law 29/2009 on domestic violence against women and in 2019 adopted a Law on the Prevention and Combat of Premature Unions alongside a revised Family Law, setting 18 as the minimum age of marriage. Women held 38.0% of seats in the Assembly of the Republic in August 2026 under voluntary party quotas, and Mozambique ratified ILO Convention 190 in November 2025. The ACHPR has called for quota legislation, repeal of discriminatory succession and criminal procedure provisions, and stronger responses to violence against women in rural areas.
At a glance
| Capital | Maputo |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Portuguese (Tsonga, Makhuwa, Sena, Lomwe and Swahili are recognised regionally) |
Key indicators
38.0% (95 of 250)Women in Assembly of the Republic (2026)
18Minimum legal age of marriage (2019)
68.55World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks score (2026)
39.17World Bank WBL 2026 supportive frameworks score (2026)
50.93World Bank WBL 2026 enforcement perceptions score (2026)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 15 Dec 2003 / ratified 9 Dec 2005 / deposited 30 Dec 2005 | None listed |
| CEDAW | accession 21 Apr 1997 | |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | accession 4 Nov 2008 | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | ratified 15 Jul 1998 / deposited 22 Dec 1998 | |
| ILO C190 Violence and Harassment Convention | ratified 26 Nov 2025 | |
| ICCPR | accession 21 Jul 1993 | |
| Kampala Convention | signed 23 Apr 2010 / ratified 2 Dec 2019 / deposited 21 Jan 2020 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | signed 29 Jun 2018 / ratified 2 Dec 2019 / deposited 21 Jan 2020 |
Constitution
| Equality guarantees | Article 35: all citizens are equal before the law regardless of colour, race, sex and other grounds. Article 36: men and women are equal before the law in all spheres. Article 43: fundamental rights are interpreted in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter. |
|---|---|
| Quotas or parity | No legislated quota or reserved seats; voluntary political party quotas apply. |
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
Law No. 29/2009 on Domestic Violence against Women
Provides for prevention and punishment of domestic violence against women and for legal protection and assistance to victims.
Gaps: The ACHPR (2015) noted insufficient information on investigation and prosecution and limited programmes in rural areas.
Sexual harassment
Labour Law No. 23/2007
Includes penalties for sexual harassment in employment.
Source: maputoprotocol.up.ac.za, ilo.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Law on the Prevention and Combat of Premature Unions (2019); revised Family Law (2019)
The 2019 law prohibits, prevents and penalises premature unions (child marriage). The revised Family Law makes 18 the minimum age of marriage and prohibits marriage under 18 even with parental consent.
Gaps: Implementation in rural areas remains a challenge.
Source: soawr.org
Family and personal status
Family Law, Law No. 10/2004 (revised 2019)
Set 18 as the marriage age for both sexes, eliminated the ‘head of family’ designation, allowed married women to register children independently, and recognised de facto unions with property and paternity rights.
Source: maputoprotocol.up.ac.za, soawr.org
Land and property
Land Law, Law No. 19/97 (1 October 1997)
Grants men and women equal rights to land, including through succession and title.
Gaps: The ACHPR (2015) noted continuing unequal access to land for women.
Political participation and quotas
No legislated quota; voluntary party quotas
Women held 38.0% of Assembly of the Republic seats in August 2026. A Women’s Parliamentary Caucus has existed since March 2005.
Gaps: The ACHPR (2015) recommended quota legislation for decision-making institutions.
Source: data.ipu.org, maputoprotocol.up.ac.za
Labour and maternity
Labour Law No. 23/2007
Raised maternity leave from 60 to 90 days, prohibits dismissal during pregnancy and for one year after birth, and introduced paternity leave.
Trafficking
Law No. 6/2008 on the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons
Criminalises human trafficking, with particular focus on women and children.
Online violence and cybercrime
Penal Code, 2019
The 2019 Penal Code covers illegal access, data and system interference, computer fraud and child sexual abuse material.
Source: rm.coe.int
Access to justice and legal aid
Institute for Legal Representation and Assistance (IPAJ)
State institution providing legal assistance to people who cannot afford a lawyer.
Source: maputoprotocol.up.ac.za
Rape and sexual offences
Código Penal, Lei n.º 24/2019
Punishes non-consensual sexual acts with 2 to 8 years of imprisonment and sexual offences against minors with 16 to 20 years. It also penalises the promotion and exploitation of prostitution.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee found the earlier Penal Code misaligned with the domestic violence law on marital rape.
Source: law.cornell.edu
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Diploma Ministerial n.º 60/2017
Sets the clinical conditions for safe abortion and post-abortion care, including where pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health or results from sexual assault. Contraceptive failure is also covered.
Source: law.cornell.edu
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Lei n.º 12/2009, on the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS and against stigma and discrimination
Protects people living with HIV, many of them women, against stigma and discrimination.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Harmful practices
Lei n.º 7/2008, Lei de Promoção e Protecção dos Direitos da Criança
Sets out the rights of the child and the duty of the state and families to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Inheritance and succession
Lei das Sucessões, 2019, article 124
Gives sons and daughters equal inheritance rights and grants surviving spouses equal rights to inherit.
Source: worldbank.org
Social protection
Decreto n.º 51/2017, regulation of compulsory social security
Counts periods of absence for childcare toward pension benefits and provides for maternity benefits through social security.
Gaps: Article 29 sets different retirement ages for women and men.
Source: worldbank.org
Nationality
Lei da Nacionalidade, article 8, with articles 23, 26 and 28 of the Constitution
Allows women and men to confer citizenship on their spouses and children on equal terms.
Source: worldbank.org
Labour and maternity
Decreto n.º 40/2008, Regulamento do Trabalho Doméstico
Regulates domestic work, a sector employing many women.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee asked for repeal of article 4, which allows children aged 12 to 15 to work as domestic workers.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Lei n.º 33/2009, creating the Comissão Nacional dos Direitos Humanos
Establishes the National Human Rights Commission, which can receive complaints of rights violations including discrimination against women.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee found the Commission under-resourced. It also found that the Commission lacked independence and a clear mandate on women’s rights.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Human rights defenders
Draft Law on the Creation, Organization and Operation of Non-Profit Organizations (bill)
Would require at least 10 founding members and yearly proof of regular functioning and accounts from organisations.
Gaps: Human Rights Watch warned it would allow the Justice Ministry to dissolve organisations without court involvement.
Source: hrw.org
Same-sex relations
Código Penal, Lei n.º 24/2019, article 160
Raises the sentence for murder to 20 to 24 years when motivated by hatred based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Source: law.cornell.edu
Civic space
| Cybercrime law | Cyber offences are in the 2019 Penal Code; procedural rules on electronic evidence were under reform in 2024 (Council of Europe). |
|---|
Recent developments
- 26 November 2025. Mozambique deposited ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment.
- 13 January 2025. New Assembly of the Republic installed after the October 2024 elections, with a woman elected Speaker. Women hold 38% of seats.
- 7 February 2024. Council of Europe invited Mozambique to accede to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
- 2 December 2019. Mozambique ratified the Kampala Convention and the Malabo Convention.
- 2019. Law on the Prevention and Combat of Premature Unions and revised Family Law adopted.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Adopt quota legislation to increase women’s representation in decision-making bodies (ACHPR concluding observations, 2015).
- Repeal discriminatory provisions in succession and inheritance law and in the Criminal Procedure Code, and protect widows’ inheritance rights against harmful customary practices (ACHPR 2015).
- Extend domestic violence services under Law 29/2009 to rural areas and ensure prompt investigation and prosecution of violence against women (ACHPR 2015).
- Address women’s unequal access to land through legislative and other measures (ACHPR 2015).
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: female genital mutilation, girls’ education, data protection, older persons, women and girls with disabilities. 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. 11 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Ratified 09/12/2005 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 22/02/1989 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 15/07/1998 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 17/07/2004 | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Ratified 24/04/2018 | 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 12/05/2022 | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Ratified 12/05/2022 | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Ratified 29/07/2008 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 22/02/1989 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 02/08/2006 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Ratified 02/12/2019 | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (21)
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- soawr.org · mozambique
- documents1.worldbank.org · P179153 156eebab c7a8 46ea aefa ab7ca80708a0
- au.int · 37077 sl PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEO…
- maputoprotocol.up.ac.za · mozambique
- tbinternet.ohchr.org · Treaty
- treaties.un.org · iv 8 b.en
- au.int · 36804 sl AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE…
- ilo.org · mozambique ratifies ilo convention and protocol occupatio…
- 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…
- maputoprotocol.up.ac.za · Mozambique. Initial and Combined Periodic Reports
- data.ipu.org · data on women
- maputoprotocol.up.ac.za · Mozambique. 17th Extraordinary Session concluding observa…
- rm.coe.int · 0900001680ae2c8d
- coe.int · grenada and mozambique have been invited to accede to the…
- law.cornell.edu · Women and Justice: Mozambique
- digitallibrary.un.org · CEDAW concluding observations on Mozambique 2019
- worldbank.org · Women, Business and the Law 2024: Mozambique
- hrw.org · Mozambique: Draft Law Threatens Civil Society Groups
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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.