Family in Gabon

A civil marriage is registered through the civil-status office or mairie. The legal framework provides for marriage between a man and a woman who are at least 18 and give personal consent. The marriage record states whether the union is monogamous or polygamous and identifies the matrimonial regime. Marriage creates duties of shared life, respect, fidelity, support and assistance. Spouses generally manage family matters together, decide the family home jointly and cannot dispose of the family home unilaterally. Union libre or concubinage also exists, but its formal effects differ from civil marriage and depend on the issue being considered. A child's birth gives access to identity documents, legal rights and social protection. In a commune, the birth should be declared within two weeks; elsewhere, the period is generally one month. A medical establishment issues the birth certificate free of charge, and the father or mother may declare the birth. If neither is present, the doctor or midwife can make the declaration. A birth record does not depend on an additional condition. When the record is missing or late, the family can seek help from the mairie, the Tribunal de première instance and social-affairs services. The Child Code treats anyone under 18 as a child and places the family at the centre of protection. Parents are responsible for maintenance, education, advice and guidance. A child has rights connected with knowing the parents, receiving support, living with them where appropriate, maintaining contact and being considered for adoption under the applicable rules. Any person who has custody or charge of a child shares duties of maintenance and education. Public care is free for an enfant vulnérable, meaning a child requiring heightened protection, and compulsory vaccinations are free for children under five. Parental authority normally belongs to both parents. After a parent's death, incapacity or removal of authority, it can pass to the other parent or lead to guardianship through conseil de famille or tutelle arrangements. Outside marriage, filiation determines parental authority. Adoption may be national or international and may be simple or full. The Tribunal de première instance handles adoption matters; when a child's filiation is unknown, adoption generally follows at least three months of reception. Temporary placement may be arranged through social-affairs services. Institutional care remains uncommon, so direct and extended relatives provide much of the care, especially in rural areas, while urban family support can be less stable. Family support duties can extend between spouses, parents and descendants, adoptive parents and adopted children or their descendants, and parents and the spouses of descendants. A support claim depends on the claimant's need and the other person's ability to provide support. A court can set or change a maintenance payment after considering needs and resources. Support may also involve accommodation, food or daily care in the household rather than money alone. The Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie et de Garantie Sociale (CNAMGS) provides several forms of support for eligible households. A Gabonese person aged at least 16 with income below the applicable SMIG wage threshold may qualify after a social inquiry. Reported measures include a birth grant of FCFA 50,000 per child as a layette, family allowances of FCFA 5,000 per child per month, a school-start allowance of FCFA 5,000 per child per year and assistance under the Garantie sociale for people with disabilities, surviving spouses without resources, people aged 60 or more and certain single mothers under 45. Transfers, school assistance, reduced co-payments and public childcare may depend on available funding. Parents in the GEF program may receive education assistance. The Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS) covers employees under its conditions. A commonly stated access condition is at least four months of work and either 20 working days or 133 hours in a month. For family allowances, children generally need to live in Gabon, payments are made quarterly and eligibility can continue up to age 20 under the applicable conditions. The reported allowance is FCFA 7,000 per child per month, with priority given to the mother or the person providing care. The application requires proof of employment, family status, residence and the child's circumstances. Family violence includes physical, sexual, psychological, property-related and economic violence under Law 006/2021. A victim can seek a protection order without first filing a criminal complaint. The victim, an authorized representative, the public prosecutor or a child-protection delegate for a minor can initiate the request. The judge should hear the matter within two days, separately from the alleged perpetrator, and mediation is not used for that hearing. Where children face physical, psychological or moral danger, the Tribunal can order separation from the shared home. Support may be available through social and protection centres, CAPEDS, Arc-en-ciel, Nzeng-Ayong services and child-police units operating in 54 communes. In 2024, 300 police officers were reported to have received relevant training. EDS 2019–21 and UNICEF reporting recorded physical or sexual violence against 48% of women aged 15–49, including 38% among those aged 15–19. Divorce in Gabon is judicial. Grounds can include adultery, imprisonment of at least one year, serious abuse or insults, chronic alcohol or drug use and a serious breach of marital duties. Spouses may file jointly with an agreement, while a definitive breakdown of the marital relationship can be based on three years of factual separation. The procedure begins with a request to the Tribunal, followed by conciliation and a final judgment that must be transcribed. The judge decides children's residence, maintenance and education after considering an inquiry and social-worker follow-up. After divorce, the judge responsible for children can order further protection measures, and parents generally retain contact and correspondence rights when a child is placed outside the home. Death ends a marriage. CNSS survivor support can cover a non-remarried, non-employed widow, a disabled widower, dependent children and dependent ascendants. Family allowances may continue for a surviving spouse who provides care and maintenance, as well as for full orphans, when the conditions are met. Typical evidence includes the death certificate, marriage certificate, children's birth certificates or judgments and proof of non-remarriage. Published national fees and processing times for divorce and adoption were not sufficiently reliable for a single national figure, so the relevant court, mairie or social service should confirm current requirements locally.