The problem of factorization of groups and monoids in a Cartesian monoidal category \(\mathscr {C}\) is investigated. Two necessary and sufficient conditions are given in terms of so-called descent 1-cocycles for a \(\mathscr {C}\) -monoid to be factorized via two \(\mathscr {C}\) -submonoids. In addition, a criterion is obtained for a \(\mathscr {C}\) -monoid to be a \(\mathscr {C}\) -group, from which the characterization of cocommutative \(\mathscr {C}\) -bimonoids that are Hopf \(\mathscr {C}\) -monoids is derived.