Burkina Faso is a parliamentary republic. In 2002 for the first time multi-party elections were held, which were followed in 2005 by elections in which the incumbent President, who had first come to power in a coup, was returned to power. The Constitutional Court allowed the President to run for office again, though an amendment to the constitution made in 2000 limits each head of state to 2 terms of office and reduced the term of office from 7 to 5 years. (It ruled that the limit should not apply retroactively.) The elections were deemed free and fair despite systemic weaknesses. Criticism was made of the President's election spending. The ruling party won 57 of 111 parliamentary seats, with opposition parties getting 54 seats. A coalition of opposition parties boycotted the election. There are 12 women in the 111-seat National Assembly and 3 in the 31-member Cabinet. There are 17 minority members in Cabinet and 61 in the National Assembly. The President nominates and removes magistrates, and the judiciary is subject to executive interference.

Traditional courts headed by village chiefs handle marital and inheritance disputes. The Presidential Guard is an autonomous security force, and some security agents are accused of torturing suspects to extract confessions Corruption is widespread in the police force. Mobs are reported to kill or beat criminal suspects with impunity.

Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic origin, gender, disability or social status is illegal, but the law is not enforced. Discrimination against women and persons with disabilities is a problem.

The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which employs 85% of the population. The per capita GNP is US$375, making the country one of the poorest. Frequent drought, limited transportation, poor infrastructure and a 77% illiteracy rate are longstanding problems.

Freedom of speech and of the press are restricted, and journalists are intimidated into practising self-censorship. No law provides for public access to government information.

The country is a source, transit and destination for internationally trafficked persons, including children. An anti-trafficking law has been adopted but not implemented. The government does not comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making efforts to do so.

Social discrimination against homosexuals and persons with HIV/AIDS remains a problem. Education International and its member organisations in Burkina Faso (SNEA-B and SNESS) work to train teachers on HIV/AIDS prevention through education.

Approximately 25% of the national budget is intended for free compulsory education, but this is insufficient to provide universal, free, primary education. If a poor child qualifies on the basis of grades, tuition-free education can continue through secondary school. Families are responsible for paying for school supplies and other charges that are usually impossible for parents to pay. Overall school enrolment is approximately 52%.

Primary education for girls is promoted through donor scholarships, school feeding programmes and information campaigns to change social attitudes to educating girls, who make up slightly more than one-third of the total student population in the primary school system. The proportion of female students in rural areas is lower than in urban areas, and illiteracy for girls in rural areas can run as high as 95%. Nationally, male literacy is around 32%, and female literacy is approximately 15%.

A 3-year ECE programme begins at age 4. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) for this programme is only 1% (48% are girls).

Legally, education is compulsory for ages 7 to 16. However, child labour data show large percentages of children who are out of school in the compulsory education age group. Primary education lasts for 6 years. At this level 13% of education is private. The NER is only 40% (46% of boys, 35% of girls). 23,402 teachers are employed in primary schools. Unlike the majority of countries, where primary education is dominated by women, only 28% of primary teachers are women. 89% of teachers are trained (92% of women), and they work with a very high pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) of 49 : 1. 13% of children repeat a grade level (43% are girls). The survival rate to the last grade of primary school is 69%. Only 40% of children who complete primary school continue to secondary education.

A 7-year secondary programme begins at age 13. The NER for this level is only 10% (11% of boys, 8% of girls). 8% of students study in technical vocational programmes. 28% of students repeat a grade level. 7,840 teachers (11% female) are employed at this level, with a PTR of 19 : 1, and 37% of teachers are trained.

18,868 students in tertiary education give a Gross Enrolment Rate of 2%. 1,596 students study abroad, mainly in France (703), Morocco (210), USA (191), Canada (117) and Germany (106).

Deeply entrenched social attitudes insist that persons with disabilities should be under the care of their family and not in the workforce or education. Social discrimination against persons with disabilities is widespread. Recently, a number of laws have been passed in an attempt to make it easier for disabled children to get education. When parents cannot afford to educate all their children, the able-bodied get priority. New legislation is intended to waive school fees to help disabled children get an education. However, little education is available for disabled children.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees and cooperates with the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organisations to assist refugees. Refugees from Cote d'Ivoire, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, as well as from Chad and Liberia, are mostly settled in Ouagadougou. Resettled refugees are taken to places previously determined by authorities. Resettled refugees have access to education and vocational training under the same conditions as nationals.

Burkina Faso is home to more than 60 ethnic groups, each speaking its own language. Most inhabitants of Burkina Faso belong to either of two major ethnic groups – the Voltaic and the Mande. The Voltaic are far more numerous and include the Mossi, who make up about one-half of the population. The language of instruction in schools is French, the country's official language, which for many children is their second or third language. It is estimated that only 15% of citizens can speak French since local languages are widely used.

Academic freedom is legally unrestricted, but self-censorship applies in academia as it does in journalism. Access to the Internet is restricted only by cost.

Civil law provides for equal property rights for women and some inheritance benefits. Customary law prohibits women from owning property and does not recognise inheritance rights for women. A woman is regarded as property and can be inherited upon her husband's death. Women face discrimination in education, jobs, property and family rights. Women represent 45% of the workforce and are found in lower-paying work. Most work in subsistence farming is done by women and girls.

Domestic violence against women is reported and is handled through customary law and practice. Education and the media make an effort to change attitudes to women. Despite efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation, it is widely practised in many rural areas. Scarring of the faces of both boys and girls of certain ethnic groups is gradually disappearing. The Penal Code prohibits sexual harassment, but it continues to be common. The law prohibits forced marriage. Polygyny is permitted provided both parties agree prior to marriage.

The minimum legal age for employment is 14, but child labour is a problem. Children aged 14 working in domestic service and agriculture can legally work for up to 4½ hours per day, but many work longer hours. More than 50% of working children work as domestic servants and in agriculture or mining where conditions are harsh. Rural children work in family-owned small business or subsistence farming in an apprenticeship system. Many work in the informal sector. Children under age 14 are not employed in state or private companies.

The country is a transit point for trafficked children from Mali to Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. They are subjected to violence, sexual abuse and prostitution. They are deprived of shelter and schooling. Reports estimate that 175,000 children aged 6 to 17 work and live apart from their families. The ILO has a programme to stop the trafficking flow of children to Cote d'Ivoire.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions except in essential services. 85% of the workforce is engaged in subsistence agriculture. Some 50% of private sector employees and 60% of public sector employees are union members. Unions have the right to bargain for wages and other benefits, and collective bargaining takes place though it covers only a small percentage of workers. There are no export-processing zones. The right to strike is guaranteed. Legal strikes for better pay and working conditions take place.

The Labour Code mandates a minimum monthly wage of approximately US$40 (22,800 CFA francs) in the formal sector; it does not apply to subsistence agriculture. The minimum wage does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. Wage earners supplement their income with subsistence agriculture or trading in the informal sector. A standard work week of 40 hours does not apply to domestic workers, who have a 60-hour work week.