Khaberni - The House of Representatives approved unanimously on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, a new law that ends what is known as the "marital sexual duty," stating that sexual relations between spouses are not legally mandatory.
The law stipulates that the absence or refusal to engage in sexual relations cannot be used as a basis for divorce, aiming to protect women from sexual violence within marriage and to promote mutual consent and respect between spouses.
Representative Marie-Charlotte Garin, one of the authors of the bill, explained that the law is a starting point to end all forms of sexual coercion in marriage, while Representative Paul Christophe emphasized that the goal includes changing misconceptions about the supposed right to sexual relations.
The bill is now referred to the Senate to complete the legislative procedures before it is expected to come into force before the summer of 2026.
