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Generating evidence

Sisters For Change has commissioned a comprehensive legal review of the criminalisation of marital rape and intimate partner sexual violence across the Commonwealth. Almost half of all Commonwealth countries require legislative reform to remove the marital rape exception in all circumstances and without limitation. The report was launched at a Commonwealth Asia High-Level Regional Dialogue in Kuala Lumpur in November 2019 and is available here.

Disseminating information and ideas

The map below illustrates the chronology of the adoption of laws criminalising marital rape across the Commonwealth and highlights the continuing and pervasive lack of legal protection for millions of women in many Commonwealth countries – especially in South Asia, South East Asia, and West Africa. Sisters For Change calls on governments to repeal the marital rape exception and reform their laws to recognise marital rape as a crime of sexual violence.

Sisters For Change is campaigning for the criminalisation of marital rape as a crime of sexual violence in all the regions and countries where we work

The map below illustrates the chronology of countries which have repealed the marital rape exception and adopted laws that criminalise marital rape as a crime of sexual violence.  Click on the timeline from left to right to see when countries reformed their laws. All dates are given when legislation was passed which fully criminalised marital rape.

  • 1976 – 1986
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    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
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    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    1976

    State of South, Australia

    Criminal Law Consolidation Act Amendment Act 1976

    null

    1981

    State of New South Wales, Australia

    Crimes (Sexual Assault) Amendment 1981

    null

    1983

    Canada

    An Act to Amend the Criminal Code in Relation to Sexual Offences and Other Offences Against the Person 1983

    null

    1985

    State of Victoria, Australia

    Crimes (Amendment) Act 1985

    null

    1985

    State of Western, Australia

    Acts Amendment (Sexual Assaults) Act 1985

    null

    1985

    New Zealand

    Crimes Amendment Act 1985

    null
    1976

    State of South Australia, Australia

    Criminal Law Consolidation Act Amendment Act 1976

    null
    1981

    State of New South Wales, Australia

    Crimes (Sexual Assault) Amendment 1981

    null
    1983

    Canada

    An Act to Amend the Criminal Code in Relation to Sexual Offences and Other Offences Against the Person 1983

    null
    1985

    State of Victoria, Australia

    Crimes (Amendment) Act 1985

    null
    1985

    State of Western Australia, Australia

    Acts Amendment (Sexual Assaults) Act 1985

    null
    1985

    New Zealand

    Crimes Amendment Act 1985

  • 1987 – 1999
    null
    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
    null
    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    1987

    State of Tasmania, Australia

    Criminal Code Amendment (Sexual Offences) Act 1987

    null

    1989

    State of Queensland, Australia

    Criminal Code, Evidence Act and Other Acts Amendment Act 1989

    null

    1993

    South Africa

    Prevention of Family Violence Act 1993

    null

    1994

    Northern Territory, Australia

    Criminal Code Amendment Act No. 11.

    null

    1994

    United Kingdom

    Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

    null
    1987

    State of Tasmania, Australia

    Criminal Code Amendment (Sexual Offences) Act 1987

    null
    1989

    State of Queensland, Australia

    Criminal Code, Evidence Act and Other Acts Amendment Act 1989

    null
    1993

    South Africa

    Prevention of Family Violence Act 1993

    null
    1994

    Northern Territory, Australia

    Criminal Code Amendment Act 1994

    null
    1994

    United Kingdom

    Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

  • 2000 – 2002
    null
    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
    null
    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    2000

    Cyprus

    The Violence in the Family (Prevention and Protection of Victims) 2000

    null

    2000

    Trinidad and Tobago

    Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000

    null

    2000

    Namibia

    Combatting Rape Act 2000

    null

    2001

    Zimbabwe

    Sexual Offences Act 2001

    null

    2002

    Papua New Guinea

    Criminal Code (Sexual Offences and Crimes against Children) Act 2002

    null
    2000

    Cyprus

    The Violence in the Family (Prevention and Protection of Victims) 2000

    null
    2000

    Trinidad and Tobago

    Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000

    null
    2000

    Namibia

    Combatting Rape Act 2000

    null
    2001

    Zimbabwe

    Sexual Offences Act 2001

    null
    2002

    Papua New Guinea

    Criminal Code (Sexual Offences and Crimes against Children) Act 2002

  • 2003 – 2010
    null
    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
    null
    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    2003

    Lesotho

    Sexual Offences Act 2003

    null

    2007

    Ghana

    Domestic Violence Act 2007 (Act No. 732).

    null

    2008

    Rwanda

    Prevention and Punishment of Gender-Based Violence 2008

    null

    2009

    Fiji

    Crimes Decree 2009

    null

    2010

    Guyana

    Sexual Offences Act 2010

    null
    2003

    Lesotho

    Sexual Offences Act 2003

    null
    2007

    Ghana

    Domestic Violence Act 2007

    null
    2008

    Rwanda

    Prevention and Punishment of Gender-Based Violence 2008

    null
    2009

    Fiji

    Crimes Decree 2009

    null
    2010

    Guyana

    Sexual Offences Act 2010

  • 2011 – 2013
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    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
    null
    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    2011

    Zambia

    Anti-Gender Based Violence Act 2011

    null

    2012

    Sierra Loene

    Sexual Offences Act 2012

    null

    2012

    Grenada

    Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2012

    null

    2013

    Tonga

    Family Protection Act 2013

    null

    2013

    Samoa

    Crimes Act 2013

    null
    2011

    Zambia

    Anti-Gender Based Violence Act 2011

    null
    2012

    Sierra Leone

    Sexual Offences Act 2012

    null
    2012

    Grenada

    Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2012

    null
    2013

    Tonga

    Family Protection Act 2013

    null
    2013

    Samoa

    Crimes Act 2013

  • 2014 – 2015
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    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
    null
    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    2014

    Kiribati

    Te Rau Te Mwenga Act (Family Peace Act) 2014

    null

    2014

    Mozambique

    Penal Code Amendment 2014

    null

    2015

    Malawi

    Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act 2015

    null

    2015

    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

    Domestic Violence Act 2015

    null

    2015

    Kenya

    Protection Against Domestic Violence 2015

    null
    2014

    Kiribati

    Te Rau Te Mwenga Act (Family Peace Act) 2014

    null
    2014

    Mozambique

    Penal Code Amendment 2014

    null
    2015

    Malawi

    Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act 2015

    null
    2015

    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

    Domestic Violence Act 2015

    null
    2015

    Kenya

    Protection Against Domestic Violence 2015

  • 2016 – Present
    null
    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape
    null
    Commonwealth countries
    null
    Non-commonwealth countries
    null

    Commonwealth countries with legislation against marital rape

    null

    Commonwealth countries

    null

    Non-Commonwealth countries

    null

    2016

    Mauritius

    Protection from Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act 2016

    null

    2016

    Malta

    Criminal Code 2016

    null

    2016

    Dominica

    Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2016

    null

    2016

    Solomon Islands

    Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offences) Act 2016

    null

    2016

    Nauru

    Crimes Act 2016

    null

    2018

    eSwatini

    Sexual Offence and Domestic Violence Act 2018

    null

    2019

    Singapore

    Criminal Law Reform Act 2019

    null
    2016

    Mauritius

    Protection from Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act 2016

    null
    2016

    Malta

    Criminal Code 2016

    null
    2016

    Dominica

    Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2016

    null
    2016

    Solomon Islands

    Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offences) Act 2016

    null
    2016

    Nauru

    Crimes Act 2016

    null
    2018

    eSwatini

    Sexual Offence and Domestic Violence Act 2018

    null
    2019

    Singapore

    Criminal Law Reform Act 2019

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