Calls for the legal recognition of same-sex couples through civil marriage are gaining momentum in Mauritius, with local activists receiving international support for their campaign.
In October 2023, the Supreme Court of Mauritius ruled that the Indian Ocean island nation’s 185-year-old colonial-era ban on same-sex intimacy was discriminatory, un-African and unconstitutional.
Until then, LGBTIQ+ Mauritians faced the prospect of up to five years in prison if found guilty of the “crime of sodomy”.
Now, activists, including those from leading Mauritian LGBTQ+ human rights organisation OUT Moris, are working to secure the right to civil marriage for same-sex couples.
Human Rights Commission Urges End to Marriage Exclusion
In May 2026, OUT Moris launched a major national campaign advocating for civil marriage equality (“mariage civil pour tous”). The initiative focuses specifically on civil rather than religious marriage.
As part of the campaign, the organisation is running an online petition calling for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships.
The drive has been bolstered by a major human rights development.
In July, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) concluded in a position paper that Mauritian law contains no explicit prohibition on marriage between people of the same sex.
In its legal analysis, it found that the civil registry’s refusal to marry same-sex couples could constitute discrimination based on sexual orientation and recommended an end to this exclusion.
The report followed complaints from two same-sex couples who approached the commission, arguing that they had experienced discrimination and that the State’s refusal to recognise their marriages violated their fundamental rights.
Peter Tatchell Foundation Backs Mauritius Campaign
The UK-based Peter Tatchell Foundation (PTF) has added its international support to the campaign.
“LGBT+ people are not asking for any special rights. We are simply asking for equal rights. Why should one couple have fewer rights than another simply because they are of the same sex?” asked Pliny Soocoormanee, Executive Officer of the Peter Tatchell Foundation and himself a Mauritian national.
Soocoormanee entered into a civil union with his partner, Jayraj Juggessur, in the United Kingdom last year.
“My relationship is legally recognised in the United Kingdom, but it is currently not recognised in Mauritius. That is why this issue matters to me personally.”
He explained that the campaign does not seek to impose same-sex marriage on religious institutions.
“I fully understand that Mauritius is a multi-religious and multicultural society, and we respect the right of every faith to determine its own religious practices,” said Soocoormanee.
“We are not asking religious institutions to officiate same-sex weddings or to change their beliefs. We are asking the State to treat its citizens equally.”
Call for Government to Engage With LGBTQ+ Groups
Soocoormanee called on the Mauritian Government to engage seriously and constructively with OUT Moris and other groups including Young Queer Alliance, Collectif Arc-en-Ciel, the NHRC and wider civil society, and to take the necessary steps towards equal marriage rights for all Mauritians.
In a Facebook post, OUT Moris welcomed the expression of solidarity with the campaign.
“More proof that love and equality know no borders,” said the group. “A huge thank you to the Peter Tatchell Foundation for their official support to OUT Moris and to Pliny Soocoormanee for their courage and commitment. Together, we move step by step towards civil equality in Mauritius.”
Marriage Equality Remains Rare in Africa
South Africa remains the only country in Africa to have legalised same-sex marriage, doing so twenty years ago.
Meanwhile, a couple in Botswana is currently challenging the constitutionality of that country’s Marriage Act, arguing that it discriminates against them by failing to recognise civil marriages between same-sex couples.
