DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Benin
West Africa · Country law profile
Benin: women’s rights and civic space laws
Benin has one of the most developed legal frameworks for women’s rights in West Africa: Law 2011-26 on violence against women, Law 2021-11 on sex-based offences (sexual harassment, forced and early marriage, FGM), and Law 2021-12, which allows abortion on request up to 12 weeks in cases of material, educational, professional or moral distress. A 2019 constitutional revision reserved 24 National Assembly seats for women, and women won 28 of 109 seats (25.7%) in January 2026. The CEDAW Committee in October 2024 remained concerned about the high prevalence of gender-based violence, FGM and child marriage, and the low share of women in decision-making. A November 2025 constitutional revision created a Senate and extended terms of office to seven years.
At a glance
| Capital | Porto-Novo (official capital); Cotonou is the seat of government |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Civil law system based on the French model, with customary law in some personal matters; customary rules contrary to the 2004 Persons and Family Code no longer have legal force |
| Official languages | French |
Key indicators
25.7% (28 of 109)Women in National Assembly (2026)
8.0% (2 of 25)Women in Senate (2026)
18 for girls and boysMinimum legal age of marriage (2004)
67.60World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks index (2026)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 11/02/2004 / ratified 30/09/2005 / deposited 13/10/2005 | |
| CEDAW | signed 11 Nov 1981 / ratified 12 Mar 1992 | None listed in the UN Treaty Collection status page |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | signed 25 May 2000 / ratified 27 Sep 2019 | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | signed 27/02/1992 / ratified 17/04/1997 / deposited 30/05/1997 | |
| ILO C100 Equal Remuneration | ratified 16 May 1968 | |
| ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) | ratified 22 May 1961 | |
| ICCPR | acceded 12 Mar 1992 | |
| Kampala Convention | signed 25/03/2010 / ratified 28/02/2012 / deposited 28/03/2012 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | signed 28/01/2015 / ratified 14/05/2024 / deposited 12/11/2024 | |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | acceded 20 June 2024 / entered into force for Benin 1 October 2024 |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of 11 December 1990, revised in 2019 and again in November 2025 (creation of a Senate and seven-year terms) |
|---|---|
| Quotas or parity | 24 of the 109 National Assembly seats are reserved for women, one in each of the 24 constituencies (introduced by the 2019 revision) |
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
Loi n° 2011-26 du 9 janvier 2012 portant prévention et répression des violences faites aux femmes
Defines and punishes violence against women, including domestic violence, marital rape, forced marriage and FGM, and set up listening centres in Social Promotion Centres.
Gaps: A 2022 government study found no Beninese law defines gender-based violence, and only 9.5% of people surveyed believed the laws were applied.
Rape and sexual offences
Loi n° 2021-11 du 20 décembre 2021 portant dispositions spéciales de répression des infractions commises à raison du sexe des personnes et de protection de la femme (amending the 2018 Penal Code); Loi n° 2011-26
Law 2021-11 defines rape as sexual penetration against a person’s will by violence, constraint, threat or surprise, punished by 5 to 10 years, and life imprisonment where the victim is under 13. Law 2011-26 explicitly covers marital rape.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee (2013) raised implementation delays and low awareness of the marital rape provision.
Source: inf.bj, hrlibrary.umn.edu
Sexual harassment
Loi n° 2006-19 du 5 septembre 2006 portant répression du harcèlement sexuel et protection des victimes; Loi n° 2021-11 (Penal Code arts. 548 to 552)
Criminalises sexual harassment, with higher penalties when committed by educators or against minors; failure to report known harassment is an offence and dismissal after harassment is deemed abusive.
Gaps: No specific provisions on online sexual harassment were identified in the 2022 government GBV study.
Female genital mutilation
Loi n° 2003-03 (2003) prohibiting female genital mutilation; Penal Code art. 524 as amended by Law 2021-11
Prohibits FGM; under Law 2021-11 it carries 6 months to 3 years, 3 to 5 years where the victim is a minor, and life imprisonment if the victim dies.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee (2013) noted few investigations, prosecutions or convictions and cross-border practice; in 2024 it again urged action to eliminate FGM.
Child marriage and age of marriage
Loi n° 2002-07 du 24 août 2004 portant Code des personnes et de la famille; Loi n° 2021-11 (Penal Code arts. 553-2 and 553-3)
The minimum age of marriage is 18 for both sexes. Law 2021-11 punishes organising or contracting forced or early marriage with 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Source: inf.bj, wbl.worldbank.org
Family and personal status
Loi n° 2002-07 du 24 août 2004 portant Code des personnes et de la famille
Recognises only monogamous marriage and overrides customs that treated women unequally in marriage and inheritance.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee (2013) noted that de facto polygamous unions persist despite the prohibition.
Source: hrlibrary.umn.edu
Inheritance and succession
Loi n° 2002-07 portant Code des personnes et de la famille, arts. 619, 630 and 634
Gives daughters and surviving spouses equal inheritance rights.
Gaps: Customary practice continues to limit women’s inheritance of land (CEDAW 2013).
Source: wbl.worldbank.org, hrlibrary.umn.edu
Land and property
Loi n° 2013-01 du 14 août 2013 portant Code foncier et domanial (arts. 14 and 316), as amended; Code des personnes et de la famille art. 185
Provides equal access to land and property for women and men.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org, hrlibrary.umn.edu
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Loi n° 2003-04 (2003) on sexual and reproductive health, as amended by Loi n° 2021-12
Abortion is allowed on request up to 12 weeks where pregnancy causes material, educational, professional or moral distress, and without a time limit on medical grounds; earlier grounds (rape, incest, fetal impairment, health) remain. A 48-hour reflection period applies and minors need guardian consent.
Gaps: Afyanahaki reports no implementing decree clarifying access conditions, approved facilities and costs.
Source: abortion-policies.srhr.org, afyanahaki.org
Political participation and quotas
Constitution as revised in 2019 (24 reserved seats); electoral code as revised in 2024
Reserves one National Assembly seat per constituency for women (24 of 109).
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee in October 2024 recommended legal reform to require 50:50 parity in all decision-making positions. Women held 2 of 25 seats (8%) in the new Senate in July 2026.
Labour and maternity
Code du travail (arts. 4, 170, 208); Convention collective générale du travail of 3 December 2005 (art. 54)
Provides at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, paternity leave under the collective agreement, equal pay for work of equal value and non-discrimination in employment.
Gaps: ILO C190 not ratified.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org
Nationality
Loi n° 2022-32 du 20 décembre 2022 portant code de la nationalité béninoise (arts. 18 and 23)
Replaced the 1965 nationality code, which the CEDAW Committee in 2013 found discriminatory in women’s transmission of nationality.
Source: wbl.worldbank.org, hrlibrary.umn.edu
Trafficking
Loi n° 2006-04 du 10 avril 2006 on the movement of minors and the repression of child trafficking; Penal Code (2018)
Criminalises child trafficking and regulates the movement of minors.
Source: hrlibrary.umn.edu
Online violence and cybercrime
Code du numérique (2018)
Covers Budapest Convention offences, including child sexual abuse material and electronic evidence; enforced by the Central Office for the Repression of Cybercrime (OCRC).
Gaps: The 2022 government GBV study found no specific definition of cyber-violence or online harassment against women.
Source: coe.int, social.gouv.bj
Human rights defenders
No specific law
No dedicated human rights defenders law was identified.
Child marriage and age of marriage
Loi n° 2015-08 du 08 décembre 2015 portant Code de l’enfant en République du Bénin, articles 3 et 181
Defines early marriage as the marriage of a child before the age of majority and prohibits practices leading to early or forced marriage of children. These practices include coercion and psychological pressure. Emotional blackmail is also prohibited.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Code pénal (forced and early marriage provisions)
Criminalises forced marriage and early marriage, as reported by Benin to the CEDAW Committee in 2024.
Source: ohchr.org
Female genital mutilation
Loi n° 2015-08 du 08 décembre 2015 portant Code de l’enfant, articles 185 à 188
Prohibits all forms of sexual mutilation of a child, except surgery prescribed for medical reasons.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Harmful practices
Loi n° 2015-08 du 08 décembre 2015 portant Code de l’enfant, articles 169 et 184
Bans rituals that put children in danger, such as toxic potions and force-feeding. Exposure to extreme temperatures is also banned. It lists children accused of witchcraft among those needing special protection.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Girls’ education
Loi n° 2015-08 du 08 décembre 2015 portant Code de l’enfant, articles 113 à 116, 170 et 180
Makes schooling compulsory and free from nursery to the end of primary school and guarantees a pregnant pupil the right to continue or resume her studies. The person responsible for an early pregnancy must cover medical costs and support the child. That person must also support the young mother’s education or vocational training.
Gaps: Compulsory schooling stops at the end of the primary cycle.
Source: faolex.fao.org
Women and girls with disabilities
Loi n° 2017-06 du 13 avril 2017 portant protection et promotion des droits des personnes handicapées en République du Bénin
Provides for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, including women and girls.
Source: ilo.org
Data protection
Loi n° 2017-20 du 20 avril 2018 portant Code du numérique en République du Bénin, Livre V, modifiée par la Loi n° 2020-35 du 6 janvier 2021
Regulates the collection, processing, transmission, storage and use of personal data and makes the Autorité de Protection des Données Personnelles (APDP) the independent regulator.
Source: dlapiperdataprotection.com
Sexual harassment
Code du travail (sexual harassment provisions)
Prohibits discrimination at work and punishes sexual harassment in the workplace.
Source: ohchr.org
Civic space
| Cybercrime law | Code du numérique (2018); Benin acceded to the Budapest Convention in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Human rights defenders law | No specific law identified |
Social protection
Loi n° 2015-42 du 17 mars 2016 portant institution du Régime d’Assurance Maladie Universelle (RAMU)
Establishes universal health insurance.
Source: sgg.gouv.bj
Access to justice and legal aid
Décret n° 2024-1275 du 23 octobre 2024 portant réglementation de l’aide juridique
A decree, not a law, organises legal aid.
Source: undp.org
Older persons
No specific law on older persons
A draft law on the protection of older persons was still being finalised in October 2024.
Gaps: No law on the rights of older persons.
Source: gouv.bj
Recent developments
- 11 January 2026. Legislative elections: 28 women elected to the 109-seat National Assembly (25.7%).
- 12 November 2024. Benin deposited ratification of the AU Malabo Convention.
- 30 October 2024. CEDAW Committee adopted concluding observations on Benin’s fifth periodic report, recommending 50:50 parity in decision-making, more shelters and stronger action on FGM.
- 20 June 2024. Benin acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime (in force 1 October 2024).
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Require 50:50 gender parity in all elected and appointed decision-making positions, including the new Senate (CEDAW Committee, 2024).
- Adopt the implementing decree for Law 2021-12 so that legal abortion services, approved facilities and costs are clearly defined (Afyanahaki).
- Enforce the FGM, child and forced marriage provisions of Law 2021-11 through investigations and prosecutions, and expand shelters and support services for survivors (CEDAW Committee, 2013 and 2024).
- Add legal definitions of gender-based violence and of online violence against women to national law (Government of Benin GBV study, 2022).
- Provide State-funded legal aid for women survivors of violence (CEDAW Committee, 2013).
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: vulnerable groups. Corrections and documents are welcome at programs@rflgd.org.
African Union treaties
Status of 29 African Union treaties as recorded in the official AU status lists published by the African Union Commission. The date of each list is shown: a ratification deposited after that date may not appear yet. 10 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Ratified 30/09/2005 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 20/01/1986 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 17/04/1997 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 10/06/2014 | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Ratified 28/06/2012 | 08/07/2024 |
| AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Ratified 06/09/2019 | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Ratified 06/11/2014 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 26/02/1973 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 20/09/2007 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Ratified 14/05/2024 | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (27)
- data.ipu.org · BJ LC01 E20260111
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- inf.bj · loi 2021 11
- documents1.worldbank.org · P179153 156eebab c7a8 46ea aefa ab7ca80708a0
- social.gouv.bj · etude vbg benin rapport final valide depose v14 09 2022 1…
- au.int · 37077 sl PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEO…
- treaties.un.org · iv 8.en
- treaties.un.org · iv 8 b.en
- au.int · 36804 sl AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE…
- treaties.un.org · showDetails
- hrlibrary.umn.edu · ratification benin1
- treaties.un.org · IV 4.en
- au.int · 36846 sl AFRICAN UNION CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION AND …
- au.int · 29560 sl AFRICAN UNION CONVENTION ON CYBER SECURITY AND P…
- rm.coe.int · 1680b6622f
- data.ipu.org · data on women
- afyanahaki.org · benin
- wbl.worldbank.org · WBL24 2 0 Benin
- hrlibrary.umn.edu · cedaw benin2013
- ohchr.org · un womens rights committee publishes findings benin canad…
- abortion-policies.srhr.org · benin
- coe.int · benin
- ohchr.org · cedawcbenco5 concluding observations fifth periodic repor…
- faolex.fao.org · FAOLEX: Code de l’enfant 2015-08
- ohchr.org · OHCHR summary of Benin’s CEDAW review 2024
- ilo.org · ILO NATLEX: Loi n° 2017-06
- dlapiperdataprotection.com · DLA Piper Data Protection Laws of the World: Benin
Other countries in West Africa
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Information verified as of October 2026. This page is for information and advocacy and is not legal advice. Laws change: check the official text before relying on it. Part of the DƆNÙESÈ Data Center of the Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD). See also the Maputo Protocol Hub and the Maputo Barometer.
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