DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / São Tomé and Príncipe
Central Africa · Country law profile
São Tomé and Príncipe: women’s rights and civic space laws
São Tomé and Príncipe ratified the Maputo Protocol and the African Children’s Charter in 2019 and the ICCPR in 2017, and acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime in June 2025. Law No 11/2022 on parity aims for at least 40% of each sex on elected bodies, yet women held 14.6% of National Assembly seats after the 2022 election. A 2017 cybercrime law and a 2016 data protection law are in force.
At a glance
| Capital | São Tomé |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Civil law system based on Portuguese law |
| Official languages | Portuguese |
Key indicators
14.6% (8 of 55)Women in National Assembly (2026)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 18 Apr 2019 / ratified 18 Apr 2019 / deposited 27 Jun 2019 | None listed |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | signed 6 Sep 2000 / ratified 23 Mar 2017 | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | signed 1 Feb 2010 / ratified 18 Apr 2019 / deposited 27 Jun 2019 | |
| ILO C100 Equal Remuneration | ratified 1 Jun 1982 | |
| ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) | ratified 1 Jun 1982 | |
| ICCPR | signed 31 Oct 1995 / ratified 10 Jan 2017 | |
| Kampala Convention | signed 1 Feb 2010 / ratified 5 Dec 2023 / deposited 15 Feb 2024 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | signed 29 Jan 2016 / ratified 25 Sep 2023 / deposited 15 Feb 2024 | |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | acceded 5 Jun 2025 |
Constitution
| Quotas or parity | Law No 11/2022 (parity law) aims for a minimum of 40% of each sex on elected bodies such as the National Assembly; the first two places on candidate lists must go to candidates of different sexes |
|---|
National laws
Political participation and quotas
Law No 11/2022 (parity law)
Sets a minimum of 40% of each sex for elective bodies, with alternation rules at the top of candidate lists.
Gaps: Women won only 14.6% of National Assembly seats in the 2022 election.
Source: data.ipu.org
Online violence and cybercrime
Law No 15/2017 on cybercrime; Law No 3/2016 on personal data protection; Law No 7/2017 on the National Agency for Personal Data Protection
Criminalises computer forgery, data damage, sabotage, illegal access and interception, and sets procedural powers and rules for international cooperation; the Penal Code covers child sexual abuse material.
Source: coe.int
Gender-based and domestic violence
Law on Domestic and Family Violence, articles 5, 7, 13 a 20 e 30
Dedicated law on domestic and family violence that defines its forms and sets protection and criminal measures.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Family and personal status
Código de Família, artigos 25, 80, 81, 175 e 183
Removes the wife’s duty of obedience and gives both spouses equal standing as head of household. It provides fast-track procedures for family disputes.
Gaps: The World Bank notes that women still face restrictions on remarriage.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Inheritance and succession
Código de Família, artigo 101
Gives sons and daughters, and surviving wives and husbands, equal inheritance rights.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Land and property
Código de Família, artigos 92, 93, 133 e 138
Grants spouses equal rights to own and administer property and recognises non-monetary contributions to the household when marital property is divided.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Labour and maternity
Lei n.º 6/2019 (labour law)
Prohibits discrimination in employment based on sex. It also prohibits discrimination based on marital or parental status. It provides at least 14 weeks of maternity leave and bans the dismissal of pregnant workers.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Social protection
Decreto-Lei n.º 19/2022 (segurança social)
Social security rules that finance maternity benefits and credit periods of childcare towards pensions.
Gaps: The ages for a full pension differ between women and men.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Nationality
Lei da Nacionalidade, artigos 5 e 6
Allows women and men to pass São Toméan nationality to their spouses and children.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Access to justice and legal aid
Basic Law of the Judiciary, articles 57, 60 and 61
Provides for specialised family courts to hear family law disputes.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Girls’ education
Lei n.º 03/2022 (framework law on pre-school education)
Framework law on pre-school education that organises centre-based childcare, which supports mothers’ work and girls’ early learning.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Civic space
| Cybercrime law | Law No 15/2017 on cybercrime |
|---|
Recent developments
- January 2026. OHCHR announced the Universal Periodic Review of São Tomé and Príncipe.
- 5 June 2025. Acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.
- 15 February 2024. Deposited ratifications of the Kampala Convention and the Malabo Convention.
- 2022. Law No 11/2022 on parity adopted.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Enforce Law No 11/2022 on parity, since women hold only 14.6% of National Assembly seats.
- Ratify ILO C190.
- Submit the initial report under the African Children’s Charter.
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, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, child marriage and age of marriage, harmful practices, abortion and sexual and reproductive health, trafficking, data protection, older persons, women and girls with disabilities, human rights defenders, 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. 8 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (14)
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- maputoprotocol.up.ac.za · sao tome and principe
- treaties.un.org · iv 8 b.en
- acerwc.africa · ratifications
- 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 · 4 states are taking important steps sao tome and principe…
- data.ipu.org · ST
- coe.int · sao tome and principe
- ohchr.org · sao tome and principe
- wbl.worldbank.org · Women, Business and the Law 2024: São Tomé and Príncipe
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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.