Bahamian governments are elected at least every 5 years on the basis of universal suffrage and secret ballot. The Governor General is head of state, while government is by the Prime Minister in a bicameral parliament. Senators are named to the deliberative body by the ruling party and the opposition. In 2002, 8 women were elected to the 40-seat House of Assembly; 7 of 16 appointed seats in the Senate are held by women, and women serve in senior positions in government. The judiciary is independent.

Discrimination on the basis of race, place of origin, political opinion, creed or sex is illegal, but some groups report discrimination occurs. Security forces are accused of occasionally committing human rights abuses.

Tourism accounts for 60% of the gross domestic product, while financial services are also a major source of revenue. Though many citizens enjoy a relatively high income level, poverty, underemployment and unemployment remain. Unemployment in 2005 was estimated at 10.2%, and it increased following the hurricane season.

Public access to government information is not provided in law but is usually possible. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed and respected in practice. The country is home to an estimated 30,000 illegal Haitian immigrants, and incidents of violence against persons of Haitian descent persist. Of the adult population aged 15 to 49, an estimated 3.5% are HIV-positive. Social discrimination against homosexuals is evident. Parliament passed the Employment Bill (2001) only after removing a clause barring discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. Homophobia and religiously based objections to homosexuality resulted in reports of firings following disclosure of sexual orientation.

Literacy levels are high, with 95.6% of the population over age 15 able to read and write (94.7% of men, 96.5% of women). Education is compulsory for children aged 5 to 16, and most children complete compulsory schooling, though schools lack basic educational materials and facilities are crowded. An alternative school programme for pregnant teenage girls has been started to encourage them to complete their education.

Some 23% of children aged 3 to 5 are in ECE programmes. 79% of ECE is provided privately. All ECE teachers are women, and 60% are fully trained.

Primary education begins at age 5 and lasts for 6 years. The Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) is 84%. Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 96% reach the final grade of primary school. 1,734 teachers (97% female) work at this level, and 95% of them (82% of men, 95% of women) are qualified educators. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 20 : 1.

96% of students make the transition from primary to secondary school at age 11. Compulsory education ends at age 16. A complete secondary education lasts 6 years. The NER is 74% (70% of boys, 78% of girls). There are 1,700 secondary teachers, 877 (73% female) in lower secondary and 823 (71% female) in upper secondary. 92% of secondary educators are trained (96% of men, 98% of women). The PTR is 17 : 1 in lower secondary and 18 : 1 in upper secondary school.

2,722 students from the Bahamas continue their studies abroad, mainly in the USA (2,030), the UK (223), Canada (194), Cuba (91) and Trinidad and Tobago (85).

Discrimination is prohibited against persons with disabilities in education or in other state services. Some housing is designed specifically for persons with disabilities. Complaints of job discrimination and the need for training and equal opportunity legislation appear in reports. In a report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the government noted that, while cultural taboos concerning children with disabilities still exist, emphasis is being placed on improving services for disabled persons in order to eliminate their marginalisation.

The Ministry of Social Services is responsible for abandoned children up to age 18, but it has sparse resources. The government hospital houses abandoned children with physical disabilities since there is no programme for alternative care. Parents sometimes have their children made wards of the court because of uncontrollable behaviour. A mix of government and private institutions provide limited education, training, counselling and job placement services for adults and children with both physical and mental disabilities.

The government is a signatory to both the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol but has not established a system for providing protection to all refugees and asylum-seekers. Illegal immigrants are held at a centre until arrangements are made for them to leave the country or they obtain legal status.

Refugee children under age 14 are held in the women's dormitory, and children arriving with both parents are not allowed contact with their fathers. Despite the possibility of being held for long periods, refugee children do not have access to educational materials or a place to exercise and play. Haitians are usually repatriated within 48 hours, but Cuban migrants can apply for asylum.

The largest ethnic minority are Haitians or citizens of Haitian descent, who are reported to account for some 20% to 25% of the population. Haitian children are granted access to education and social services. Children born in the country of non-Bahamian parents or to a Bahamian mother and a non-Bahamian father do not automatically acquire citizenship. Individuals born in the country to Haitian parents are required to pay the tuition rate for foreign students while waiting for their request for citizenship to be processed.

Academic freedom is not restricted, and Internet access is readily available.

Women do not have the same right as men to transmit citizenship to their foreign-born spouses. This causes some problems for education of the children. Some inheritance laws favour men. Prominent women of all political persuasions continue to push for an amendment to the Constitution and revision of laws to bring equality to inheritance rules.

Violence against women is reported as a widespread problem; law enforcement authorities are reluctant to intervene in domestic disputes.

The law prohibits the employment of children under age 14 for industrial work or work during school hours, but children do work part time in light industry and service jobs. Children under age 16 may not work at night. There is no legal minimum age for employment in other sectors.

The Constitution provides for freedom of association. Private and public sector workers may form or join trade unions, except the police force, defence forces, fire brigades and prison guards. Almost 25% of the work force consists of union members. Collective bargaining is used to negotiate wages, and the right to strike is assured. The government has the right to intervene in the national interest to assure essential services before a strike begins. Freeport is a specially designated free trade zone, but Bahamian labour law still applies there.

The minimum wage for government employees is US $4.45 (B$4.45) an hour, and for the private sector it begins at US$4.00 (B$4.00) an hour. The cost of living is high, and the minimum wage does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The law provides for a 40-hour work week.