DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Burkina Faso
West Africa · Country law profile
Burkina Faso: women’s rights and civic space laws
Burkina Faso has been ruled by a military government since September 2022, under a transition charter that runs for 60 months from 2 July 2024; the appointed Transitional Legislative Assembly had 11 women among 58 members (19.0%) in March 2026. In 2025 the authorities dissolved political parties and adopted a revised Persons and Family Code. Earlier CEDAW findings (2010) pointed to legal polygamy and unequal marriage ages. UN bodies have documented serious abuses against Fulani communities, and the UN Human Rights Office announced in July 2026 that its country office would be shut down.
At a glance
| Capital | Ouagadougou |
|---|---|
| Legal system | Civil law system based on the French model, with customary law in personal matters; the country has been under military-led transitional rules since the 2022 coups |
Key indicators
19.0%Women in Transitional Legislative Assembly (2026)
67.40World Bank WBL 2026 legal frameworks index (2026)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | signed 26/02/2004 / ratified 09/06/2006 / deposited 09/08/2006 | |
| CEDAW | acceded 14 Oct 1987 | None listed in the UN Treaty Collection status page |
| CEDAW Optional Protocol | signed 16 Nov 2001 / ratified 10 Oct 2005 | |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | signed 27/02/1992 / ratified 08/06/1992 / deposited 10/07/1992 | |
| ILO C100 Equal Remuneration | ratified 30 Jun 1969 | |
| ILO C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) | ratified 16 Apr 1962 | |
| ICCPR | acceded 4 Jan 1999 | |
| Kampala Convention | signed 25/07/2010 / ratified 05/07/2012 / deposited 09/08/2012 | |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed or ratified (AU list of 2 February 2026) | |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | Invited to accede on 11 December 2019; the invitation lapsed in December 2024 without accession |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of 1991, suspended after the 2022 coups; the country is governed under a transition charter (revised in 2024) providing for a 60-month transition from 2 July 2024 |
|---|---|
| Quotas or parity | The electoral quota law requires at least 30% of candidates of each sex on party and independent lists; it has not applied to the appointed Transitional Legislative Assembly |
National laws
Family and personal status
Persons and Family Code (Code des personnes et de la famille), revised in 2025
Governs marriage, divorce and filiation. The earlier code made monogamy the primary regime but allowed polygamy as an option (arts. 257 to 262).
Source: hrlibrary.umn.edu
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Reproductive Health Act, Act No. 049-2005/AN (2005); Penal Code
Abortion is permitted to save the woman’s life or health and for fetal impairment without a time limit, and in cases of rape or incest up to 14 weeks.
Gaps: Abortion on request or on social grounds is not permitted.
Source: hrlibrary.umn.edu
Political participation and quotas
Electoral quota law (30% of candidates of either sex)
Requires a minimum of 30% of candidates of each sex on every list.
Gaps: Women hold 19.0% of seats in the appointed Transitional Legislative Assembly; elections are suspended during the transition.
Source: data.ipu.org
Labour and maternity
Labour Code, Act No. 28-2008/AN (2008)
Protects pregnant employees and includes the principle of equal pay.
Source: hrlibrary.umn.edu
Gender-based and domestic violence
Loi n°061-2015/CNT du 6 septembre 2015 portant prévention, répression et réparation des violences à l’égard des femmes et des filles
Dedicated law that defines and punishes violence against women and girls and sets up victim support. It creates offences that were previously unpunished, such as abduction and witchcraft accusations.
Gaps: The government reported continuing challenges in enforcing the law.
Source: unwomen.org
Gender-based and domestic violence
Loi n°025-2018/AN du 31 mai 2018 portant Code pénal, articles 531-8, 531-9, 533-10 et 533-11
The Penal Code criminalises domestic violence.
Gaps: There is no specific provision on femicide.
Source: worldbank.org
Rape and sexual offences
Loi n°025-2018/AN du 31 mai 2018 portant Code pénal (sexual offences)
The Penal Code punishes sexual offences, and specifically sanctions sexual relations between educators and the minors in their care.
Gaps: The government noted the need for stronger application of these provisions.
Source: unwomen.org
Sexual harassment
Loi n°025-2018/AN du 31 mai 2018 portant Code pénal, articles 533-9 et 722-1
Criminalises sexual harassment, which is also covered by articles 11 and 36 of Loi n°061-2015/CNT and by articles 37 and 422 of the Labour Code for the workplace.
Source: worldbank.org
Female genital mutilation
Loi n°025-2018/AN du 31 mai 2018 portant Code pénal, articles 513-7 à 513-9
Criminalises female genital mutilation.
Gaps: The government noted the need for stronger enforcement.
Source: unwomen.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Loi n°025-2018/AN du 31 mai 2018 portant Code pénal, articles 531-1 et suivants
The Penal Code prohibits and punishes child and forced marriage.
Source: unwomen.org
Child marriage and age of marriage
Code des personnes et de la famille, adopted on 1 September 2025
The new code sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 for both girls and boys and makes consent of both parties the basis of marriage.
Source: amnesty.org
Harmful practices
Loi n°061-2015/CNT du 6 septembre 2015 portant prévention, répression et réparation des violences à l’égard des femmes et des filles
Makes accusations of witchcraft against women a criminal offence.
Source: unwomen.org
Inheritance and succession
Code des personnes et de la famille, adopted on 1 September 2025
Contains provisions that eliminate gender discrimination in inheritance, protecting women after divorce or the death of a spouse.
Gaps: Customary rules continue to limit women’s inheritance of land in practice.
Source: amnesty.org
Land and property
Loi n°034-2009/AN du 16 juin 2009 portant régime foncier rural, article 75
Secures rural land rights for all actors including women and guarantees equal property rights. It requires women’s representation on rural land commissions.
Gaps: Only 32% of women in unions held land in 2010 and 8.2% held it alone.
Source: unwomen.org
Land and property
Loi n°103-2015/CNT du 22 décembre 2015 on private rental housing
Guarantees access to private rental housing without discrimination based on sex; its implementing order was adopted in 2019.
Source: unwomen.org
Social protection
Loi n°004-2021/AN du 6 avril 2021, articles 92, 94 et 110
Sets the same retirement age for women and men and credits periods of absence for childcare toward pensions.
Source: worldbank.org
Social protection
Code de la sécurité sociale, articles 46 et 47
Provides maternity benefits paid through social security for at least 14 weeks.
Gaps: Coverage of social protection remains limited, especially for women in the informal sector.
Source: worldbank.org
Nationality
Code des personnes et de la famille, articles 140 et 151
Women and men have equal rights to confer citizenship on their spouses and children.
Source: worldbank.org
Older persons
Loi n°024-2016/AN du 17 octobre 2016 portant protection et promotion des droits des personnes âgées
Protects the rights of older persons in health and housing. It also protects their security. Articles 43 and 45 punish abandonment and exclusion based on witchcraft accusations, which mostly target older women.
Gaps: Implementing decrees were still pending.
Source: unwomen.org
Data protection
Loi n°001-2021/AN du 30 mars 2021 portant protection des personnes à l’égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel
Sets the legal framework for processing personal data, supervised by the Commission de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CIL).
Source: africadataprotection.org
Human rights defenders
Loi n°039-2017/AN du 27 juin 2017 portant protection des défenseurs des droits humains au Burkina Faso
Recognises the rights of human rights defenders to associate, seek resources, speak and assemble, and punishes crimes against them.
Gaps: The law created no protection mechanism; the one set up by the national human rights commission rests on an administrative order with no appeal process and no specific provisions for women defenders.
Source: ishr.ch
Vulnerable Groups
Code des personnes et de la famille, adopted on 1 September 2025
Criminalises behaviour likely to promote homosexual practices with two to five years of imprisonment and fines of 2 to 10 million CFA francs.
Gaps: Amnesty International called the provision a serious setback for human rights.
Source: amnesty.org
Civic space
| Notes | Military government since the September 2022 coup; political parties were dissolved in 2025. The CERD Committee in May 2026 expressed grave concern about extrajudicial executions, torture and arbitrary detention of members of the Fulani community. The UN Human Rights Office announced in July 2026 that its Burkina Faso country office would be shut down. |
|---|
Women and girls with disabilities
Loi n° 012-2010/AN du 1er avril 2010 portant protection et promotion des droits des personnes handicapées
General law on the rights of persons with disabilities.
Source: social.desa.un.org
Access to justice and legal aid
No specific legal aid law
A legal aid fund (Fonds d’assistance judiciaire) exists and its decree was under review in November 2025.
Gaps: No law on legal aid.
Source: fr.allafrica.com
Recent developments
- July 2026. UN Human Rights Office announced the shutdown of its Burkina Faso country office.
- May 2026. CERD Committee published findings on serious violations against Fulani communities and descent-based discrimination.
- March 2026. Renewal of the Transitional Legislative Assembly: 11 women among 58 members.
- December 2024. Burkina Faso’s invitation to accede to the Budapest Convention lapsed.
- 2 July 2024. Start of a 60-month transition period under the revised transition charter.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Repeal the polygamy provisions of the Persons and Family Code (CEDAW Committee, 2010).
- Adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination provisions covering direct and indirect discrimination against women (CEDAW Committee, 2010).
- Investigate and prosecute extrajudicial executions, torture and arbitrary detention, and prohibit ethnic profiling in law (CERD Committee, 2026).
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: girls’ education, trafficking, online violence and cybercrime. 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. 9 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Ratified 09/06/2006 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 06/07/1984 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 08/06/1992 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 31/12/1998 | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Ratified 26/05/2010 | 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 | Ratified 11/02/2025 | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Ratified 17/09/2008 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 19/03/1974 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 29/11/2005 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (22)
- data.ipu.org · BF
- data.ipu.org · women ranking
- documents1.worldbank.org · P179153 156eebab c7a8 46ea aefa ab7ca80708a0
- 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
- humanrts.umn.edu · ratification burkinofaso
- 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…
- coe.int · burkina faso invited to join the budapest convention
- rm.coe.int · 1680b6622f
- hrlibrary.umn.edu · cedaw burkinafaso2010
- ohchr.org · un committee elimination racial discrimination publishes …
- ohchr.org · burkina faso
- unwomen.org · Burkina Faso national Beijing+25 review
- worldbank.org · Women, Business and the Law 2.0 pilot: Burkina Faso
- amnesty.org · Amnesty International, September 2025
- africadataprotection.org · Africa Data Protection: Burkina Faso
- ishr.ch · ISHR: Legislative protection in Burkina Faso
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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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