19th March 2026
Djibouti has enacted several important legal reforms, including criminalising FGM, introducing workplace sexual-harassment provisions, and strengthening anti-trafficking protections. However, the persistence of harmful practices and the absence of a dedicated domestic-violence law hinder effective protection for women and girls. Enhanced enforcement, stronger legal frameworks, and enhanced survivor services are urgently required.
Key recommendations:
- Introduce a comprehensive domestic-violence law with clear protection orders, criminal sanctions, and survivor-centred procedures.
- Criminalise marital rape to ensure equal protection within marriage.
- Remove exceptions to the minimum age of marriage to fully prohibit child marriage.
- Strengthen enforcement of the Law No. 55/AN/09 (2009) on Violence against Women, in particular female genital mutilation, including through accountability for accomplices, and consistent prosecution of perpetrators.
- Increase allocation of resources for support services, including shelters, legal aid, psychosocial support, and trained GBV units in rural areas.
- Expand nationwide awareness efforts to shift social norms around FGM, child marriage, and domestic violence.
Strengthen multisectoral coordination, ensuring police, prosecutors, health providers, and NGOs work together to provide timely and safe survivor referrals and support.