DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Republic of the Congo
Central Africa · Country law profile
Republic of the Congo: women’s rights and civic space laws
The Republic of the Congo’s 2015 Constitution states that women have the same rights as men, commits the State to parity in political and administrative posts and creates a Consultative Council of Women. Congo ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2011, and a 2018 land law voids customs that restrict women’s access to customary land. Women hold 14.6% of seats in the National Assembly, and the CEDAW Committee issued new concluding observations in February 2025. Civic space is rated repressed by the CIVICUS Monitor.
At a glance
| Capital | Brazzaville |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Civil law system based on the French model, with customary law applied in some family and land matters |
| Official languages | French |
Key indicators
14.6% (22 of 151)Women in National Assembly (2026)
31.9% (23 of 72)Women in Senate (2023)
45.0World Bank Women, Business and the Law 2024, legal frameworks (2024)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | Signed 27/02/2004; ratified 14/12/2011; deposited 06/08/2012 | |
| CEDAW | Signed 29 July 1980; ratified 26 July 1982 | None recorded |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | Signed 29 September 2008; not ratified | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Signed 28/02/1992; ratified 08/09/2006; deposited 10/10/2006 | None listed |
| ICCPR | Acceded 5 October 1983 | |
| Kampala Convention | Signed 23/10/2009; ratified 15/11/2014; deposited 19/12/2014 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Signed 12/06/2015; ratified 24/09/2020; deposited 23/10/2020 |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of the Congo of 2015 |
|---|---|
| Equality guarantees | Article 15 guarantees equality before the law; Article 17 states that women have the same rights as men and provides for parity in political and administrative posts; Article 232 creates the Consultative Council of Women. |
National laws
Land and property
Law No. 21-2018 of 13 June 2018 (land law)
Article 19 declares null any customs and traditions that suppress or restrict women’s right to occupy or acquire customary land.
Source: soawr.org
Nationality
Law No. 35-61 of 20 June 1961 on the Congolese Nationality Code, amended by Law No. 2-93 of 30 September 1993 and Law No. 32-2011
Congolese mothers and fathers can transmit nationality to their children on equal terms.
Source: citizenshiprightsafrica.org
Gender-based and domestic violence
Loi n° 19-2022 du 4 mai 2022 portant lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes en République du Congo (Loi Mouébara)
Defines discrimination against women for the first time and criminalises forms of violence against women that the Penal Code did not cover, with aggravated penalties and longer limitation periods (article 46).
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee in 2025 noted enforcement gaps and out-of-court settlements. It also noted the lack of a dedicated budget.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Gender-based and domestic violence
Loi n° 1-2023 du 21 février 2023 portant création du centre Mouébara
Creates a national centre for the reception and rehabilitation of women and girls who survive violence; its statutes were approved by Décret n° 2024-103 du 7 mars 2024.
Source: unwomen.org
Gender-based and domestic violence
Décret n° 2022-237 du 4 mai 2022 portant création du programme national de lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes
Sets up a national programme and departmental networks to prevent and respond to violence against women.
Gaps: No dedicated budget allocation was reported to the CEDAW Committee in 2025.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Rape and sexual offences
Loi n° 4-2010 du 14 juin 2010 portant protection de l’enfant en République du Congo, articles 65 à 67 et 121
Prohibits sexual exploitation of children and all sexual assault or penetration of a child, punishable by three to five years of imprisonment and fines.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Sexual harassment
Loi n° 19-2022 du 4 mai 2022 portant lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes (Loi Mouébara)
Criminalises sexual harassment in the workplace and in public spaces. It also covers religious institutions. The penalty doubles when the perpetrator holds hierarchical authority over the victim.
Source: ohchr.org
Female genital mutilation
Loi n° 4-2010 du 14 juin 2010 portant protection de l’enfant en République du Congo, article 62
Prohibits genital mutilation of children, defined as any partial or total removal of the external genital organs. It also prohibits honour crimes and forced child marriage.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee in 2025 noted that FGM persists in some communities and that prevalence data is unreliable.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Loi n° 4-2010 du 14 juin 2010 portant protection de l’enfant en République du Congo, articles 37 et 108
Gives every child the right to refuse a marriage or pre-marriage and declares marriages contracted under constraint null. It punishes forcing a child into marriage with up to two years of imprisonment.
Gaps: The Family Code still allows derogations to the minimum marriage age, according to the CEDAW Committee in 2025.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Harmful practices
Loi n° 19-2022 du 4 mai 2022 portant lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes (Loi Mouébara), articles 19 et 60
Punishes the maltreatment of widows, including degrading widowhood rites, and prohibits gender stereotypes in advertising (article 23).
Gaps: Discriminatory widowhood customs continue and reparations remain insufficient, according to the CEDAW Committee in 2025.
Source: unwomen.org
Family and personal status
Loi n° 073/84 du 17 octobre 1984 portant Code de la famille
Governs marriage, divorce, filiation, parental authority and succession.
Gaps: It still permits polygamy, names the husband as head of household, sanctions adultery more harshly for women and lacks economic protection after divorce; a revised code has not been adopted.
Source: data.unicef.org
Inheritance and succession
Loi n° 19-2022 du 4 mai 2022 portant lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes (Loi Mouébara)
Protects the succession rights of widows and punishes their dispossession by in-laws.
Source: ohchr.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Loi du 31 juillet 1920 (repression of abortion and contraceptive propaganda, still applied)
Criminalises abortion, with narrow court-ordered exceptions described by the government for incest and risks to health.
Gaps: Experts noted in 2025 that clandestine abortions cause about 30 percent of maternal deaths; the Committee asked for legalisation at least for rape, incest, severe fetal impairment and risk to the woman’s life or health.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Décret n° 2022-75 du 28 février 2022 (programme de gratuité de la césarienne et des soins obstétricaux d’urgence)
Provides caesarean sections and emergency obstetric care free of charge.
Gaps: Rural health infrastructure and medical staff remain insufficient.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Girls’ education
Loi n° 4-2010 du 14 juin 2010 portant protection de l’enfant en République du Congo, article 27
Makes primary and secondary education in public schools free and requires enrolment from age six. Parents who refuse to enrol a child can lose custody rights.
Gaps: Secondary attendance for girls stays around 40 percent and many schools lack separate toilets, according to the CEDAW Committee in 2025.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Political participation and quotas
Loi n° 1-2016 du 23 janvier 2016 modifiant et complétant la loi électorale
Requires at least 30 percent women on candidate lists, placed in alternating order in the upper third of lists for local elections.
Gaps: The parity bill required by article 17 of the 2015 Constitution is still pending, and women held 14.6 percent of National Assembly seats in 2022.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Political participation and quotas
Loi organique n° 14-2018 du 15 mars 2018 déterminant l’organisation, la composition et le fonctionnement du Conseil consultatif de la femme
Organises the constitutional Advisory Council of Women, which gives opinions on women’s issues to the government.
Source: unwomen.org
Labour and maternity
Loi n° 45-75 du 15 mars 1975 instituant un Code du travail, modifiée par les lois n° 22-88 du 17 septembre 1988 et n° 6-96 du 6 mars 1996
Article 80 guarantees equal pay for equal work regardless of sex, and the code suspends the employment contract during maternity rest.
Gaps: There is no comprehensive anti-discrimination framework in employment and domestic and agricultural workers lack protection, according to the CEDAW Committee in 2025.
Source: natlex.ilo.org
Social protection
Loi n° 31-2011 du 15 juillet 2011 portant réforme de la sécurité sociale, modifiée par la loi n° 14-2023 du 27 mai 2023
Reforms the social security system covering pensions and family benefits.
Source: unwomen.org
Social protection
Loi n° 37-2014 du 27 juin 2014 instituant le régime d’assurance maladie universelle
Establishes universal health insurance; the fund (CAMU) was created by Loi n° 19-2023 du 27 mai 2023.
Source: unwomen.org
Trafficking
Loi n° 22-2019 du 17 juin 2019 portant lutte contre la traite des personnes
Criminalises trafficking in persons and provides for victim assistance.
Gaps: Investigations are weak, and data on prosecutions is missing. Victims of sexual exploitation are sometimes arrested without identification.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Loi n° 001/84 du 20 janvier 1984 portant réorganisation de l’assistance judiciaire
Organises legal assistance for people without means to go to court.
Gaps: The law is under revision and free legal aid is not available in practice for women without financial means.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Loi n° 27-2020 du 5 juin 2020 portant lutte contre la cybercriminalité
Defines and punishes offences committed through computer systems and networks.
Source: unwomen.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Loi n° 19-2022 du 4 mai 2022 portant lutte contre les violences faites aux femmes (Loi Mouébara), articles 67 et 68
Prohibits revenge pornography, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images of women.
Source: unwomen.org
Data protection
Loi n° 29-2019 du 10 octobre 2019 portant protection des données à caractère personnel
Regulates the processing of personal data to protect privacy and public freedoms.
Source: unwomen.org
Human rights defenders
No specific law protecting human rights defenders
Congo has no legal framework for the protection of human rights defenders, including women defenders.
Gaps: Indigenous women defenders working on land and extractive issues face reprisals with impunity, according to the CEDAW Committee in 2025.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org
Civic space
| CIVICUS Monitor rating | Repressed (score 28, CIVICUS Monitor 2025 findings) |
|---|---|
| Notes | CIVICUS reported increased repression in 2025, including the abduction of an opposition leader and the arrest of a lawyer supporting activists. |
Recent developments
- February 2025. CEDAW Committee published concluding observations on Congo’s eighth periodic report (CEDAW/C/COG/CO/8).
- June 2024. UN Committee on Migrant Workers published concluding observations on Congo’s initial report.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Ratify the CEDAW Optional Protocol, signed in 2008.
- Turn the constitutional parity principle (Article 17) into a binding parity law covering legislative elections and appointments.
- Enforce Article 19 of the 2018 land law so that customs restricting women’s access to customary land are not applied.
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: older persons, women and girls with disabilities, same-sex relations. 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 14/12/2011 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 09/12/1982 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 08/09/2006 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 10/08/2010 | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Signed 2007, not ratified | 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 17/07/2023 | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Ratified 14/12/2011 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 16/01/1971 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 31/01/2006 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Ratified 24/09/2020 | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (21)
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- wbl.worldbank.org · WBL2024 Economy Scores
- au.int · 37077 sl PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEO…
- un.org · CEDAW Ratification Table IV 8.en
- treaties.un.org · iv 8 b.en
- au.int · 36804 sl AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE…
- 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…
- soawr.org · congo
- citizenshiprightsafrica.org · republic of congo
- monitor.civicus.org · africa
- monitor.civicus.org · africa
- ohchr.org · congo
- un.org · reservations country
- digitallibrary.un.org · CEDAW concluding observations 2025 (CEDAW/C/COG/CO/8)
- unwomen.org · Congo national Beijing+30 report 2024
- faolex.fao.org · FAOLEX text of Loi n° 4-2010
- ohchr.org · OHCHR summary of CEDAW review of Congo, February 2025
- data.unicef.org · Text of the Family Code (UNICEF data library)
- natlex.ilo.org · ILO NATLEX text of the Labour Code
Other countries in Central 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.