Benin Benin, a small country west of Nigeria, nominally is one of the world's poorest, qualifying for HIPC debt relief in 2000. Through its high dependency on agricultural export products and falling world market prices, Benin has had difficulties escaping the poverty trap.
Life remains mostly rural and traditions prevail.
Despite of constitutional prohibition, societal discrimination of women continues. Violence and abuse of women are considered a family matter. Female Genital Mutilation is practiced in the northern provinces of the country. In July the Ministry of Justice launched a nationwide publicity campaign to alert parents regarding the risks of placing their children in vidomegon and to inform adults with vidomegon children of their responsibilities and of the children's rights. Criminal courts mete out stiff sentences to criminals convicted of crimes against children, but many such crimes never reach the courts.