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MALAWI

Male to Male relationships: Not Legal
Punishments for male to male relationships: Imprisonment of 10 years or more
Female to Female Relationships: Legal
Marriage and Substitutes for Marriage: No law

Your Views

Are you LGBTI? We want to hear from you! Help us inform other users of the site with your views on this country. Below is a random question about this country. If it is relevant to you please answer it.

Have you adopted as an LGBTI person in MALAWI?
I would like to but it is illegal (0 %) Tried, but denied (0 %) Yes (0 %) Yes, with my partner (0 %) Never tried (0 %)

The MALAWI country survey is populated by LGBTI groups who have acted as liaisons with ILGA to identify issues affecting the LGBTI community.

Organizations were asked to discuss 4 broad subjects: the law, the mood (the social climate), the LGBTI movement as well as what would be, according to them, the most pressing campaign in their country.

Please write to countryreport@ilga.org if you have comments regarding this page.

LAW
What are the laws and policies like for LGBTI people in your country?

Male to Male Relationships

Are male to male sexual relationships legal?
Not Legal

What is the name of this law? (if applicable - please give chapter and section)
Penal Code Cap. 7:01 Laws of Malawi
Sections 153, 156

What is the full text of this law?
Section 153
Unnatural offences

“Carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature” or permitting a male person to have carnal knowledge of [a male or female person] against the order of nature” - up to fourteen years imprisonment, with or without corporal punishment. 

Section 156
Indecent practices between males

"Gross indecency with another male person in public or private – up to five years imprisonment."

What are the punishments?
Imprisonment of 10 years or more

Female to Female Relationships

Are female to female sexual relations legal?
Legal

Age of Consent

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Freedom of association, of expression

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Marriage and Substitutes for Marriage

What types of same sex partnerships are recognized?
No law

LGBTI Families/Parenting

Can same sex couples adopt children together?
No

Anti-discrimination laws

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Armed forces

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Asylum and Immigration

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Blood donation

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Gender identity

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

HIV/AIDS

Unfortunately this part of the law questionnaire is currently empty. If you are a group and want to update this please contact countryreport@ilga.org.

Information contributed by ILGA-Asia, ILGA, BT, last modified 26/03/2009
This part of the country profile has been originally written in English, it would be helpful if you can speak one of our other languages to help maintain the translated versions of this document. To French To Spanish To Portuguese
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