Togo is a presidential republic, where the President is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is held by both the government and parliament. Since independence, the political system has been dominated by a political party named the Rally for the Togolese People. In 2005, the 38-year rule of the President ended with his death.

Contrary to constitutional provisions, the National Assembly held an extraordinary session and amended the constitution to allow the election of his son as the new Speaker, thereby enabling him to become President. During the night the armed forces installed him as President, and he was sworn in by the Constitutional Court, charged with upholding the law. National and international pressure resulted against what African Union leaders described as a military coup. Riots resulted, and the new President agreed to hold elections in April 2005.

He resigned to be able to run for the office. The Deputy Speaker became interim President until after the election, which reinstated the son of the late President with 60% of the vote. Opposition parties claimed fraud; international election observers noted massive irregularities; the European Union suspended aid to the country; but the African Union and the United States declared the vote "reasonably fair" and accepted the result.

The President named an opposition leader as Prime Minister. Reconciliation talks between the government and the opposition have taken place, resulting in a signed accord and the participation of opposition parties in a transitional government. There are 5 women in the 81-seat National Assembly and 4 women ministers in the 30-member Cabinet. Members of the southern ethnic groups are reported to be under-represented in the government.

Following the election, riots in several cities were put down by the military. A house-to-house search became a campaign of violence against opposition supporters. The UN reported summary executions. Amnesty International reports that dozens of persons were detained following the elections. The government and the state are highly centralised.

The judiciary is independent in law but is said to be controlled by the executive branch.

Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, disability, language or social status is prohibited, but the legislation is not enforced.

Torture is illegal but is reported. Impunity is a problem. Corruption is also a problem, and there is widespread public perception of corruption in government.

The Poverty Reduction Strategy paper, prepared by the government, the World Bank and the UN Development Program, reported corruption and lack of transparency in the management of public funds throughout the government.

Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed, but indications are that an already difficult situation has worsened, with journalists reporting harassment and intimidation resulting in self-censorship. Nevertheless some members of the press are critical of the government. Access to the Internet is not restricted. The public has no access to government information.

Trafficking in children is illegal, but trafficking of adults is not. The country is a source, transit route and destination for people trafficked for labour and sexual exploitation. Cooperation with neighbouring countries has been instituted to fight trafficking. More young girls than boys are trafficked. Children are trafficked into indentured servitude amounting to slavery and taken from rural hinterlands to Lomé to work as domestics or in markets in the informal sector.

The ILO reports that security forces intercepted 1,837 children aged 6 to 17 who were being trafficked. Persons who are HIV/AIDS-positive face social discrimination.

Education is compulsory and free in public schools for ages 6 to 15. Though the legislation is not enforced, a marked improvement is reported in school attendance in recent years. Missionary schools remain important, educating about half the students. UNICEF reports some 79% of children aged 5 to 11 attend school. 83% of boys and 74% of girls start primary school; but only 51% of boys and 22% of girls attend secondary school. Orphans and needy children receive some assistance from extended families or NGOs, but little is available from the government

A 3-year programme begins at age 3. At this level 59% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 2%. Of the 707 teachers working at this level, 91% are women and 67% are trained. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 18 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 15. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 6 years. At this level 40% of education is private. The NER is 79% (46% female). Of students enrolled in Grade 1, 70% continue to the last grade of primary school. 24% of students repeat grades. 22,210 teachers (13% female) work at this level, and 45% of them are trained. The PTR is 44 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 12 and is completed in 7 years. At this level 26% of education is private. 1% of students in lower secondary and 23% in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 39%. 23% of students repeat grades. There are 11,029 secondary teachers (7% female), and 47% are trained. The PTR in secondary school is 34 : 1.

1,307 students from abroad study in Togo, their countries of origin unspecified. 2,926 Togolese students study abroad, mainly in France (1,584), Germany (445), the USA (413), Morocco (105) and Canada (71).

In 2003 a new law prohibited discrimination against persons with disabilities in education and in other state services, but it has not been enforced. Social discrimination against persons with disabilities is reported. According to the World Health Organisation, Togo has more than 490,000 disabled people and almost 49,000 people in need of orthopaedic treatment. Indeed, the first African school for training francophone orthopaedic technicians and speech therapists is in Lomé. In 2006, a Handicap International study demonstrated that less than 3,000 children with disabilities were able to go to school in Togo. Efforts to launch a pilot programme of inclusive education are now under way.

The law does not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol. The government has established a system for providing protection to refugees and cooperates with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations.

Following the death of the President and the violence in the run-up to the elections, large numbers of persons fled their homes in panic over the illegal transfer of power and the closure of borders. Furthermore, animist beliefs and voodoo are prevalent in Togolese culture, and the role of fetishists and diviners is still significant. A February 2003 report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that voodoo was used as a threat to prevent journalists from covering security force activities towards refugees and internally displaced persons.

40 ethnic groups that speak distinct primary languages are concentrated regionally. The major ethnic groups include the Ewe (25%), the Kabye (15%), the Kotokoli (15%), the Moba (15%) and the Mina (5%). Ethnic allegiance is reported to play an important part in employment and in other aspects of daily living, with the result that minorities are disadvantaged

Reports do not cite violations or restrictions of academic freedom, but security forces are said to maintain a presence at the University of Lomé. Students and professors report an undercover system of informers on campus and the monitoring of classes.

Women are equal under the law but are discriminated against in practice. Traditional law discriminates in education, pension benefits and inheritance. A wife receives no maintenance or child support in the event of divorce, and a widow has no inheritance rights upon the death of her husband. Polygyny is practised. Women and girls dominate commerce in urban areas; in rural areas women are responsible for domestic tasks and agricultural work. Equal pay for work of equal value is legislated in the formal sector. Women can own property with no special restrictions.

Sexual harassment is prohibited, particularly of girl students, but the law is not enforced. Domestic violence is under-reported, and the social stigma associated with domestic violence or rape prevents charges being laid. Female genital mutilation is practised, particularly in rural areas.

The legal age for employment is 14, but child labour is a problem particularly in agriculture on family farms. Some children work as young as age 5. Industrial and technical employment has a minimum age of 18, but like much other legislation this provision is not enforced. Working children have poor attendance records at school and often drop out of education. Children work in factories in the formal sector.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions, except members of security forces and those in essential services. 60% to 70% of workers in the formal sector are union members, for whom collective contracts set wage standards. About 72% of the work force is in agriculture and 22% in the informal sector. The right to collective bargaining is provided, but its application is limited; no national collective agreement is in force. There are many export processing zones, which are exempt from some provisions of the Labour Code.

Forced or compulsory labour is not prohibited, and reports indicate such practice occurs. Minimum wages are set by the government for different categories of workers, while unskilled workers earn less than the official wage. Monthly minimum wages range from approximately US$20 to US$33 (10,000 to 16,000 CFA francs), levels which do not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. Second jobs and subsistence farming are common. Working hours are not to exceed 72 hours a week.