Zou is governed by federal Benin law. Learn more
- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unrecognized
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Legal, but banned for minors
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- Ambiguous
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Zou is lacking public opinion data.
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Homosexual activity in Zou is legal.
Current status
Legal
Benin does not have a law on the books criminalizing homosexuality.
Same-sex marriage in Zou is unrecognized.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1900
Unrecognized
Same sex marriage is not recognized.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Zou is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Benin, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Zou is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
No Laws in place.
Gender-affirming care in Zou is legal, but banned for minors.
Current status
Legal, but banned for minors
Gender-Affirming Care in Benin is banned for minors
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Zou is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
There is no legal recognition.
LGBT discrimination in Zou is no protections.
Current status
No protections
No explicit protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Article 6 of the Personal data Protection Law (2009) states:
"It is prohibited, without the express consent of the person concerned, to collect or process personal data which reveal, directly or indirectly, racial or ethnic origins, political, philosophical or religious opinions, trade union membership of persons or data relating to the health and sexual life of such persons."
Article 6 of the Personal data Protection Law (2009) states:
"It is prohibited, without the express consent of the person concerned, to collect or process personal data which reveal, directly or indirectly, racial or ethnic origins, political, philosophical or religious opinions, trade union membership of persons or data relating to the health and sexual life of such persons."
LGBT employment discrimination in Zou is no protections.
Current status
No protections
Law No. 98-004 of January 27, 1998 on the Labor Code in the Republic of Benin does not protect LGBT from discrimination.
LGBT housing discrimination in Zou is no protections.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1900
No protections
None exist in the criminal code.
Same-sex adoption in Zou is single only.
Current status
Single only
No restrictions. No laws in place for same sex couples.
Intersex infant surgery in Zou is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There is no ban on surgeries performed on intersex infants in Benin.
Blood donations by MSMs in Zou is legal.
Current status
Legal
No specific restrictions for LGBT people according to Decree No. 1999-639 on Regulating the donation of whole blood and the distribution of blood and its derivatives in the Republic of Benin and the National Blood Transfusion Agency.
Conversion therapy in Zou is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned.
Equal age of consent in Zou is equal.
Current status
Since Jun 4, 2018
Equal
Article 545 of The Penal Code (2018) establishes greater penalties for anyone who has committed an indecent or unnatural act with a minor of the same sex. However, the age of sexual consent is equal regardless of gender.
Previously, article 331 established the age of consent for same-sex relations at 21.
Previously, article 331 established the age of consent for same-sex relations at 21.
Legal Rights
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This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Zou to help improve its accuracy.
Top Contributors
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Zou LGBT Organizations
There are no organizations listed in Zou. Suggest one
