Equatorial Guinea is preparing a major reform of customary marriage. The Ministry of Justice has submitted a draft of a new Civil Code which plans to cap the total amount of the dowry at one million FCFA. This initiative aims to curb the abuses of certain families who transform traditional marriage into a source of income, with financial demands deemed excessive.
Beyond the dowry, this broader reform aims to modernize Equatorial Guinean law by revising more than 500 texts inherited from the Spanish colonial era. The draft Civil Code introduces important changes regarding women's rights and family organization. Widows will have the option of refusing to marry a member of their deceased husband's family, a practice still common in some communities. The text specifies that widows should no longer be considered a family "asset".
Polygamy would only be permitted within the framework of customary marriage. The Equatorial Guinean government wants to modify more than 500 of the 1,700 articles of the current civil code, which it considers to be 200 years old and containing provisions from the medieval era.
If adopted, these reforms could profoundly transform social and family practices in Equatorial Guinea. They also revive the debate on the evolution of traditions in the face of modern realities. In February 2026, the government vowed to end child marriage by 2030, with three draft bills in the pipeline, including a bill regulating traditional marriage.
The new civil code stipulates that all forms of marriage (civil, customary, canonical or economic) will have the same legal value in Equatorial Guinea, regardless of the place or pace of the celebration.
