Togo is located on the west coast of the African continent. It has around 8 million inhabitants. According to the Human Development Report 2020, Togo is ranked 167th out of 189.In particular, the deficiencies in health and education, in which little has been invested in recent decades, are a major obstacle to the country's development.
The Gnassingbé clan has ruled the country since 1967. In February 2020, President Gnassingbé won the presidential elections, consolidating his power, supported by the loyal army and security services. Accusations of manipulation were raised, election observers expelled, critics arrested. The measures to contain the coronavirus in Togo in April 2020 and the subsequent economic recession certainly helped to limit popular protest against the Gnassingbé regime.
The Democracy Index of the London-based research firm The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) measures the development of civil liberties and democracy. Togo has fallen to 141st place in the 2020 ranking due to a lack of transparency and irregularities in the presidential election, as well as repressive measures against opposition members. However, the international community, especially Togo's African partners, the AU and ECOWAS, take a laissez-faire approach to dealing with Togo in the interest of regional stability and their national interests.
Togo has made progress, particularly in economic reforms: In the World Bank's 2020 "Doing Business" index, Togo made it to third place among the "top reformer" countries in the world. In 2019, Togo recorded economic growth of 5%, similar to previous years. The growing economy mainly benefits foreign investors, the state apparatus and a small upper class at home and abroad. The Covid-19 pandemic has wiped out the macroeconomic gains of previous years and has had a huge impact on Togo.
Theoretically, Togo is one of the most progressive countries in Africa in terms of gender equality and women's rights. Both female genital mutilation and child marriage have been prohibited by law for years. However, the reality is quite different. United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Gender Inequality Index of 2018, Togo is ranked 140 out of 162 countries. Patriarchal structures determine people's everyday lives and men decide at every level. Discrimination against women is widespread and manifests itself in a lack of education, violence against women, early or forced marriages.
