Burkina Faso ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1984. The 1991 Constitution prohibits discrimination based on sex in employment and wages, and national legislation gives men and women equal rights in the area of marriage, inheritance, and access to land. However, these measures are not widely enforced and, therefore, have had a limited impact. The majority of women are unaware of their rights because of lack of information, illiteracy and the weight of tradition.
A Directorate for the Promotion of the Family in the Acting Ministry of Social Welfare is undertaking an information programme on the Family Code. The Directorate's Service for the Social Protection of the Family is responsible for collecting and disseminating texts on the family and for proposing measures to the Assembly of Deputies.
