1st Edition

The Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa The Barriers to Marriage Equality

By Zanele Nyoni-Wood Copyright 2026
234 Pages
by Routledge

234 Pages
by Routledge

This book considers the prospects for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. Legal recognition of same-sex relationships continues to spread across the globe, with several countries extending the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. Meanwhile, in sub-Saharan Africa, most countries criminalise consensual same-sex acts. Despite a rapidly changing... Read more

Introduction

Chapter 1: Colonialism, African Sexualities, and Marriage 

Chapter 2: Same-Sex Marriage and the Development of the T.A.P.P Theory

Chapter 3: Sexual Orientation, Same-Sex Marriage, and International Human Rights Law

Chapter 4: From Sodomy to Marriage: The South African Experience

Chapter 5: Decriminalising Homosexuality: Reshaping the Landscape in Botswana and a Missed Opportunity in Kenya

Chapter 6: The Absolute Prohibition of Same-Sex Marriage in Nigeria

Chapter 7: Concluding Thoughts

Biography

Zanele Nyoni-Wood is a lecturer in clinical legal education at Lancaster University, School of Law, and has a background as a family lawyer. She has an interest in the interplay of law and sexuality, particularly relationship recognition. The focus of her research is the regulation of same-sex relationships and LGBT rights in sub-Saharan Africa.