The Gambia is a democratic republic whose President was re-elected for a 5-year term in 2001 and then re-elected again in 2006. Periodic elections are held on the basis of universal suffrage. The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) has majorities in the National Assembly and in most local councils.

There are 6 women in the 48-seat National Assembly and 3 women in the 15-member Cabinet; the Vice-President is a woman. No statistics are available on the number of minorities in the legislature or the Cabinet. The President is from the minority Jola ethnic group, which was marginalised by earlier administrations.

The judiciary is independent, but at lower levels it is said to be subject to executive branch influence. Higher courts demonstrate more independence. Village chiefs preside over local courts at the village level. Traditional, Shari'a and civil law are all recognised.

Discrimination is prohibited on the basis of race, religion, sex, disability, language or social status. Attempts are made to enforce the provisions, but discrimination exists. Soldiers are accused of abuse and torture of detainees. The market economy relies on subsistence farming.

Freedom of speech and of the press are limited through legislation and intimidation. Self-censorship is common among journalists. Access to satellite television is available but is too costly for the majority. The President of the Gambia Press Union was warned that journalists who persist in negative reporting about the government would be taught a lesson. Internet access is not restricted.

Trafficking in persons occurs, though anti-trafficking legislation has been enacted and a multi-agency taskforce is in place to address the issue. Children, engaged in prostitution in the main tourist areas are often underage, and some are reported to be as young as 12. The country is said to be a place favoured by European paedophiles. Most victims of trafficking are aged 16 to 18 and are immigrants or refugees from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau; they are of both sexes, and many are war migrants without families.

Discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS hinders disclosure. The government has developed a 5-year National Strategic Plan that includes the provision of care, treatment and support to persons affected by,HIV/AIDS.

Free, compulsory education for children aged 7 to 15 is provided in law, but fees are charged for education at all levels, and access is further limited by the number of schools available. Girls constitute approximately 40% of primary students and about 33% of high-school students. A combination of poverty and socio-cultural factors limit the opportunity for education for girls, particularly in rural areas. A countrywide programme to pay school fees for all girls is now being implemented. The number of girls in primary education has increased, with the Net Enrolment Rate (NER) for girls of 62% in 1999 rising to 77% in 2004.

The Child Protection Alliance promotes the protection of children from abuse. The Alliance has conducted countrywide workshops for teachers on alternatives to corporal punishment.

A 4-year ECE programme begins at age 3. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 27%. Of the 800 teachers working at this level, 56% are women. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 38 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 16. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 6 years. 51% of students are girls. The NER is 75%. 4,666 teachers (31% female) work at this level. The PTR is 37 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and is completed in 6 years. 2% of students in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 45%. Secondary teachers number 2.035 in total, of whom 1,109 work in lower secondary schools (16% female) and 926 in upper secondary (12% female). The PTR is 51 : 1 in lower and 31 : 1 in upper secondary schools.

1,530 students (19% female) study in tertiary institutions. 3,456 Gambian students study overseas, mainly in France (2,866), Canada (228), Germany (150), Morocco (107) and USA (105).

Discrimination against persons with physical disabilities is illegal in education and in other state services. But social discrimination exists, and persons with severe disabilities are largely supported through families and charities. Persons with less severe disabilities function in society and have some employment.

The Constitution provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the government has established a system for providing such protection. The country has some 600 Senegalese refugees and about 1,500 additional refugees from the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Liberia.

The country is home to a variety of ethnic groups, with the Mandinka making up 40% of the population. The Fula, Wolof, Jula and Serahuli, along with a small community of Aku, make up the balance of the population, who live without intertribal friction.

Reports do not indicate that there is any restriction of academic freedom per se, but the limitations on freedom of speech for the press likely also restrict the ability of academics to express views freely in classrooms.

Social discrimination against women in education and employment is reported. In the formal sector women have the same salary rates as men, and no statutory discrimination appears to exist. However, the majority of women are employed in subsistence farming, as vendors in markets or in the tourism industry. Shari'a law is applied in divorce and inheritance matters for Muslims, who make up more than 90% of the population.

Domestic violence is rarely reported to authorities, because police consider such incidents to be domestic issues out of their jurisdiction. Female genital mutilation is widespread in rural areas but is less common among educated and urban women. No laws address sexual harassment, but it is not cited as a widespread problem.

The statutory minimum age for employment is 14. Lack of access to educational opportunity, particularly at the secondary level, is a cause of child labour. Many children work on farms and as street vendors, where enforcement of legislation is weak.

Workers are free to form and join trade unions, except civil servants. The International Trade Union Confederation accuses the government of not implementing the 8 ILO core labour rights conventions. The government claims it intends to revise the Labour Act but has not yet done so. Workers, except for police, the military and other designated civil servants, have the right to strike. Collective bargaining is permitted. Workers in export processing zones have the same rights as other workers. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited but occurs.

Tripartite industrial councils set minimum wages and working hours. The lowest minimum wage is approximately US$0.41 (12 dalasi) per day for unskilled labour and does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The basic legal work week was 48 hours.