Overview of Human Rights in Benin

The Republic of Benin is a constitutional democracy.  The government works to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens, however, a few problem areas remain. Government, judicial, and law enforcement corruption led to many human rights abuses. With impunity, the police use excessive force, arbitrary arrest and detention as fear tactics against the population. A prolonged trial detention without access to proper representation, followed by a lack of due process after the commencement of a trial, leads to many innocent people having to face violence and harsh prison conditions. Trafficking, child labor and abuse against children - including infanticide - are pervasive areas of concern to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. That said, Benin has a better than average record of human rights -- especially among the countries of the developing world.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

163rd out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.