Regions  ▸  Africa  ▸  Cape Verde

LGBT Rights in Ilhas de Sotavento Geographical Region

Ilhas de Sotavento is governed by federal Cape Verde law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Gender-Affirming Care
    Unknown
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    Ambiguous
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal with restrictions
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Homosexual activity in Ilhas de Sotavento is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 1, 2004
Legal
Homosexual activity is legal in Cape Verde.
Details
Sources:
old.ilga.org/Statehomophobi…
Report error  ·  Log
Sep 16, 1886–Mar 1, 2004
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Homosexuality was illegal under the 1886 Penal Code.
Details
Sources:
web.archive.org/web/2013071…
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Same-sex marriage in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Same-sex marriage in Ilhas de Sotavento is banned.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1968
Banned
Article 1551 of the Civil Code defines Marriage as the "voluntary union between two people of different sexes, in accordance with the law, who intend to form a family through a full communion of life."

Article 1587 of the Civil Code states that "A marriage contracted by two people of the same sex is legally non-existent."
Details
Sources:
faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/cvi… (1999)
faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/cvi… (1968)(Art. 1628)
www.cndhc.org.cv/images/dow…
www.balai.cv/opiniao/casame…
www.ministeriopublico.cv/in…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Ilhas de Sotavento is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Cape Verde, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Details
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Right to change legal gender in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Right to change legal gender in Ilhas de Sotavento is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Changing gender is not allowed in Cape Verde.
Details
Sources:
www.cndhc.org.cv/images/dow…
database.ilga.org/cape-verde-lgbti
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Gender-affirming care in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Gender-affirming care in Ilhas de Sotavento is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ilhas de Sotavento is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
only male or female
Details
Sources:
Cape Verde doesn’t recognize non binary
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

LGBT discrimination in Ilhas de Sotavento is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Oct 16, 2007
Illegal in some contexts
Only banned in employment and housing
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/cape-verde-lgbti
portoncv.gov.cv/dhub/porton…
old.ilga.org/Statehomophobi…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Ilhas de Sotavento is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since 2008
Sexual orientation only
According to Article 45(2) and Article 406(3) of the Novo Código Laboral Cabo-Verdiano.
Details
Sources:
portoncv.gov.cv/dhub/porton… le?p_doc_id=786
old.ilga.org/Statehomophobi…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Ilhas de Sotavento is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since 2019
Sexual orientation only
Section 8 of the National Housing Policy (2019) states it was developed under the premise that everyone has a right to housing, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/cape-verde-lgbti
database.ilga.org/api/downl…
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Same-sex adoption in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Same-sex adoption in Ilhas de Sotavento is single only.

Current status
Single only
No laws in place for same sex couples.
Details
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Intersex infant surgery in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Intersex infant surgery in Ilhas de Sotavento is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There are no laws banning invasive and unnecessary medical procedures on intersex children in Cape Verde.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/cape-verde-lgbti
Report error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Serving openly in military in Ilhas de Sotavento is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
Not one of the countries that has bans on lgbt serving.
Details
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Blood donations by MSMs in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Ilhas de Sotavento is legal with restrictions.

Current status
Legal with restrictions
There is no official ban. Restrictions may be possible.
Details
Sources:
www.eris.cv/index.php/docum…
ine.cv/wp-content/uploads/2…
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Conversion therapy in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Conversion therapy in Ilhas de Sotavento is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Not criminalized.
Details
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/2017/ILG…
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Ilhas de Sotavento

?

Equal age of consent in Ilhas de Sotavento is equal.

Current status
Since Mar 1, 2004
Equal
Details
Sources:
www.saflii.org/mz/legis/cod…
old.ilga.org/Statehomophobi…
Report error  ·  Log
Equality Index ?
64 / 100
Legal Rights
48 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Ilhas de Sotavento to help improve its accuracy.

Top Contributors

Ilhas de Sotavento LGBT Organizations

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