Romantic relationship in Burkina Faso

Dating and partner choice in Burkina Faso are predominantly informal. Qualitative studies from selected municipalities show that young people are increasingly choosing their partners themselves, while parents and families often assess background, seriousness, and consent. These patterns differ by region and social environment; reliable national figures on dating apps, dating costs, or relationship counselling are not available. Formal unions include civil marriage (mariage civil), customary marriage (mariage coutumier), and religious marriage (mariage religieux). A customary or religious marriage can be transferred into state civil-status registration (état civil); procedures and fees should be checked with the responsible municipal registry office (mairie). Civil marriage is concluded before a civil registrar (officier d’état civil) of the mairie at the place of residence or domicile. Under the new Personal and Family Code in force since 25 September 2025, the marriageable age for both sexes is 18; a judicial exception may be possible. For a civil marriage, Burkinabè nationals or persons lawfully residing in the country need, according to the available administrative procedure, at least copies of the national identity card (CNIB), a complete birth certificate no more than three months old, a certificate of celibacy or non-remarriage, and CNIB copies of adult witnesses. Publication of the banns takes approximately 3 to 14 working days; the entire procedure often takes about one month. The portal describes the ceremony as free, but mairie fees may apply. An extract from the marriage certificate takes approximately 3 to 14 working days and may cost different amounts depending on the office. An existing monogamous marriage record prevents another civil marriage. Monogamy and polygyny are formally relevant forms of marriage. According to the 2019 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH 2019), among people who were married or living in a union, 37.4 percent of women and 22 percent of men lived in a polygynous regime. An union libre, meaning a non-marital cohabiting relationship, is not automatically treated as equivalent to marriage. Reliable automatic entitlements to inheritance or insurance benefits have not been established for it; state registration should therefore be preferred for legal protection. The new law emphasizes equal rights and duties of spouses, free and informed consent, and the prohibition of forced and child marriage. According to the Demographic and Health Survey (EDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 38.2 percent of women aged 20 to 24 had already been married or in a union before their 18th birthday; about 7.8 percent had been affected before their 15th birthday. According to the RGPH 2019, 8.0 percent of girls aged 12 to 17 were married or in an union libre, compared with less than 1.2 percent of boys. Poverty, limited education, rural residence, family and traditional norms, as well as crises and displacement, increase the risk. Burkinabè law covers physical, sexual, psychological, moral, economic, property-related, and cultural violence. Tradition or religion does not justify such violence, and abduction to force a marriage or cohabiting relationship is prohibited. In cases of coercion, violence, or immediate danger, options include the police and the national gendarmerie (Gendarmerie), courts, municipal social and protection centres, and integrated support centres. These services may offer medical and psychosocial assistance, protection, mediation with the family of origin, and, where appropriate, judicial support; actual access depends on the location and security situation. Contraception and family planning are also part of the practical management of a partnership. Among women aged 15 to 49 who were in a union, 34 percent used some contraceptive method and 32 percent used a modern method; common methods included implants at 16 percent, injections at 8 percent, and the pill at 5 percent. 56 percent participated in family-planning decisions, and 8 percent reported pressure related to a pregnancy. Public facilities and community health workers are supposed to provide family-planning services free of charge under Decree No. 2019-0040; private facilities are subject to agreements, and implementation is gradual. Prevention of sexually transmitted infections and HIV is part of health care. Divorce and separation follow different routes. For divorce and legal separation from bed and board (séparation de corps), the High Court of First Instance (Tribunal de grande instance) is generally responsible; current reliable information on the procedure, costs, and duration is not established. There is no documented formal divorce procedure for ending an union libre. In cases of violence, the affected person should immediately contact the police, Gendarmerie, a social service, a protection centre, or the competent court, regardless of relationship status. Civil marriage is not available to same-sex couples in Burkina Faso; official parliamentary information also identifies prohibitions and sanctions connected with promoting homosexual practices or practices classified as equivalent, creating a high legal and personal safety risk.