While they are constitutionally equal to men, they have unequal property rights and employment opportunities in certain areas.

[5] The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Madagascar is lower than the average for Africa, with the national rate estimated at 1 percent.

Approximately a third of Malagasy women under the age 19 have already had at least one child,[8] and most breastfeed, with 51 percent breastfeeding exclusively for six months.

[12] Fifteen percent of married women wishing to use contraceptives have no access to family planning initiatives.

[17] Rich and middle-class Malagasy women spend much time cooking, and may work in cassava, rice, and maize production.

Some, including divorced, land-owning women without adequate male support, contract out the labour to relatives or other members of the community, while others may work sharecropped lands with their husbands; however, female sharecroppers are rarely counted separately from their husbands.

In practice, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) observes that there are still reports of discrimination in inheritance law.

[4] Women legally have equal ownership rights, although in locations along the east coast of Madagascar they may be unable to own land.

Their civil liberties are generally well-respected;[7] however, in cases of spousal abuse, women must report the crime themselves in order for the police to act.

Although calling the police is rare, women also have a traditional right known as misintaka that allows them to leave their husbands and live with their families.