With the end of the 27-year civil war in 2002, Angola began a transition to a constitutional republic. Angola is highly centralised and dominated by the presidency. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has ruled the country since independence in 1975. A Government of National Reconciliation was formed when the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and 10 smaller opposition parties joined the ruling MPLA. The opposition holds some 43% of the 220-seat National Assembly, whose members include 35 women and 7 members of minority groups. The 61-member Cabinet includes 10 women and 3 minority deputies, while 3 of the Ministers are women. Power is concentrated in the President and the Council of Ministers.

Discrimination on the basis of colour, race, ethnicity, sex, place of birth, ideology, degree of education or economic or social condition is prohibited in law, but the legislation is not enforced.

The judiciary is independent in law, but reports indicate it is subject to executive influence. Security forces are accused of committing human rights abuses with impunity.

The economy is dominated by oil, and it grew by more than 10% in 2005. Most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the small elite; 70% of the population live in poverty, and 85% of rural residents are employed in subsistence agriculture. The provision of basic services is very limited.

Privacy rights are infringed. Freedom of speech and of the press are restricted, with reports of harassment and intimidation of reporters. Most media are state-run and offer little criticism of government. Operacao Brilhante, a government campaign against illegal diamond mining, targeted over 120,000 migrant miners and used violent methods to expel refugees.

8.6% of the population is estimated to be HIV positive, and by 2009 an estimated 315,000 children will be orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS deaths. Trafficking in persons, including children, is a major problem.
Violence and discrimination against women and children are common. Children and persons with disabilities suffer from poor economic conditions and limited protection. Indigenous people face discrimination and economic exploitation.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 9. Some 60% of the population is under the age of 15. Literacy levels are reported at 67% of the population (83% of males, 54% of females). Of the over 2 million illiterates in the population, 74% are female.

Legally, primary and secondary education should be free, but students have to pay significant costs for books and supplies. Much of the educational infrastructure was destroyed during the war, and schools lack basic equipment and teaching materials. A "Back to School" campaign trained 20,000 new teachers for placement in schools throughout the country. UNICEF reported that 56% of children aged 6 to 9 attend school but only 6% of those aged 10 to 11.

More than 1 million children are estimated to be out of school. A gender gap in enrolment favours boys over girls. Teachers are often unpaid or underpaid, and they frequently demand unofficial payments from students. Corruption is reported in the education sector. Oil revenue could provide education for all children in the country, but little is directed to public services.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) found that Angola's defence expenditure was almost 10 times that of its investment in education.

It should be available for ages 3 to 6. No statistical data are provided on the percentage of children enrolled in ECE or of the teachers working in the sector.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 9. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is 34%. No further statistical information is provided.

Age 10 is the official entry age to secondary education. No further statistics are provided

Statistics show a total of 12,982 students enrolled, providing a GER of only 1%. Of those enrolled, 40% are female. 32% of tertiary education is provided privately. 20% of the 1,285 teachers working at this level are female. 5,942 students are reported to study abroad, mainly in Portugal (3,367), South Africa (839), USA (442), Namibia (354) and France (205).

Handicap International estimates that up to 10% of the population has physical disabilities. Many are landmine victims. Women and girls constitute a growing percentage of persons with disabilities as they are injured by landmines while foraging for food and firewood.

While no institutional discrimination against persons with disabilities is noted, little has been done to improve their physical, financial or social conditions. It is difficult for persons with disabilities to find employment or participate in education.

Juveniles are often incarcerated for petty theft and are housed with adults. Abuse by guards and inmates is common. No education is provided for incarcerated juveniles. UNICEF implements a programme for former child soldiers, Skills training, psychological services, temporary housing and assistance with civil registration have been provided to 3,750 registered child soldiers.

A UN assessment shows that approximately 91,000 internally displaced persons remain unsettled. A lack of physical infrastructure, including education facilities, prohibits relocation. The government is a signatory of the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol and has established a system for protection of refugees. In cooperation with the UNHCR and humanitarian organisations, limited educational provision is made available for them.

No specific educational provision is available for minority education. Khoisan and other hunter-gatherer tribes suffer from exclusion, discrimination and economic exploitation. A new land tenure law has increased ethnic tensions. International NGOs are concerned that the law increases the vulnerability of indigenous communities.

Reports do not indicate governmental restriction of academic freedom or of Internet access. However, access to the Internet is costly and geographically limited to the capital and to some provincial capitals.

The Constitution and the Family Code provide for equal rights without regard to gender; but social discrimination against women remains a problem, particularly in rural areas. The Civil Code discriminates against women in inheritance, property sales and participation in commercial activities.

Domestic violence is a serious problem. Slavery is prohibited, but no laws exist to combat trafficking in persons; reports are common of women and children trafficked to Europe and South Africa for labour and sexual exploitation. Demolition of informal squatter housing has had a serious impact on women and children.

Given the lack of educational opportunity, child labour is a serious problem. The legal minimum age for employment is 14. Children aged 14 to 18 may not work at night, in dangerous conditions or in occupations requiring great physical effort. Children younger than 16 should not work in factories.

These provisions are rarely enforced. A high percentage of children aged 5 to 14 work on family farms, as domestic servants and in the informal sector as street vendors. Orphaned and abandoned children work in unregulated urban employment. Child prostitution is common. Poor conditions in government youth centres leave homeless children on city streets shining shoes, washing cars and resorting to petty crime.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions. Workers are represented by the National Union of Angolan Workers (UNTA), the General Centre of Independent and Free Labour Unions of Angola (CGSILA) and the Independent Union of Maritime and Related Workers (SIMA).

The rights to organise and bargain collectively are not always respected. Armed forces personnel, police, prison workers and firefighters do not have the right to strike. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, but violations occur in sectors not subject to labour law enforcement.

The minimum wage of US$50 (4,250 kwanza) per month is not respected, and urban workers earn less than US$20 (1,700 kwanza) per month; this does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. Most wage earners hold second jobs to augment their income. The legal work week is 44 hours. Foreign workers are not protected under the labour law.