Seriously flawed parliamentary elections held in 2003 resulted in mass protests that became known as the Rose Revolution and culminated in the resignation of the President. New presidential elections were held in January 2004, when the leader of the opposition won in a landslide with 90% of the vote. Parliamentary elections followed in March, when the National Movement won the majority of seats.

A series of constitutional amendments strengthened the power of the executive that reports to the President. Ministers are appointed by the President with the consent of Parliament. There are 22 women in the 235-seat parliament, and the Speaker is female. Parliament also has 5 Armenians and 3 Azeris representing their minority groups. The 2004 elections brought the electoral process closer to international standards.

Regional conflicts remain unresolved, but ceasefires are holding despite sporadic incidents of violence. The conflicts have resulted in the resettlement of approximately 230,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Abkhazia region, 12,200 IDPs from the South Ossetia region and 2,600 refugees from neighbouring Chechnya. National stability is fragile. The Commonwealth of Independent States, of which Georgia is a member, provides joint peacekeeping forces in the area.

All citizens are considered equal before the law regardless of race, colour, language, sex, religion, political or other opinions, but discrimination is a problem.

The judiciary is subject to executive pressure and is reported to be corrupt. Corruption has been a serious problem but attempts are being made to improve the situation.

Security personnel are accused of torture and abuse to extract money or confessions. Human Rights Watch reports that detainees are subject to inhumane and life-threatening treatment and conditions.

Pensions and state salaries are again being paid, and attempts have begun to reduce the arrears owed.

Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed, but these rights are still not fully respected. Monitoring of private telephone conversations without court orders is believed to continue. A new law helps journalists protect sources and whistleblowers. Journalists are also allowed to refuse an assignment on the basis of "conscientious abstention." Defamation is no longer a criminal offence, and journalists can tape conversations using hidden microphones. Publication and circulation of print media is limited by poor financing. International media operate freely. While intimidation and harassment of journalists have declined, self-censorship continues. Internet access is not restricted.

Trafficking in persons is prohibited, but Georgia is a source and transit country for trafficked persons. Regional cooperation to uncover trafficking rings and assist repatriation is part of the effort to stop trafficking. Women are trafficked to work in the adult entertainment sector or as prostitutes.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 14. Basic education ends at age 16. Although education is officially free through high school, in practice schools can only function with the financial support of parents, so there are charges involved in enabling children to attend all levels of education. School facilities are inadequate, with many lacking basic supplies such as libraries, blackboards and chalk, and in some cases the heating needed to remain open in winter. Often teachers must be paid by parents or not at all.

As a result, children are increasingly dropping out of school because parents cannot afford the costs. Bribery is reported to be endemic in the education system, and sometimes good grades and recommendations are for sale. University entrance examinations have been instituted in an effort to combat bribery and to get rid of corruption in the university enrolment process. Parent-teacher supervisory boards have been established in secondary schools to improve supervision of school management. Estimates put the amount spent on bribes at US$30 million (54 million GEL), which is more than the entire education budget.

An estimated 1,500 street children live in Georgia, with 1,200 living in the capital, Tbilisi. Orphanages cannot cope with the increasing numbers of children in need of care. Education grants and tutoring are being offered to assist them, however, the option available for children who have left orphanages to enrol in military school raises serious questions. All Grade 4 students are required to attend a class on the history of major religions, but complaints have arisen that the focus is solely on the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC), which has a consultative role in all curriculum development. The GOC Concordat introduced the teaching of Orthodoxy as an elective in the school curriculum. A new law requires the teaching of Orthodoxy to take place after school hours and not be administered by schools or teachers. Clergy cannot attend or direct student extracurricular activities. A joint working group has been agreed upon to develop curriculum, choose teachers and develop material for teaching Orthodox Christianity.

A 3-year programme begins at age 3. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 41%.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 14. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 6 years. 3% of primary education is private. The NER is 93% (48% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 98% reach the last grade of primary school. There are 16,500 primary teachers (95% female), of whom 97% are trained. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 14 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 12 and is completed in 5 years. 3% of secondary education is private. 3% of students in lower secondary and 8% in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 81%. There are 48,965 secondary teachers (82% female). The PTR is 9 : 1.

155,058 students (51% female) study in tertiary institutions, for a Gross Enrolment Rate of 41%. 19% of tertiary education is private. 1,058 foreign students study in Georgia, coming mainly from Asia (780), Central and Eastern Europe (258) and North America and Western Europe (17). At the same time, 6,697 Georgian students study abroad, mainly in Germany (3,000), the Russian Federation (1,357), Armenia (932), the USA (373) and France (275).

People with disabilities are usually excluded from mainstream Georgian society. They often attend separate schools or are institutionalised. Discrimination against persons with disabilities is a problem in education and in other state services. Most persons with disabilities are supported by family members or by international humanitarian donations. Discussion is beginning on possible changes to assist the disabled.

The law provides for the granting of asylum and refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The war with South Ossetia shattered coexistence and caused massive displacement of Ossetians. 13 years after the ceasefire, an estimated 60,000 Ossetians displaced from Georgia have yet to regain their property rights or be compensated for their losses. In 1989 there were 164,055 Ossetians living in Georgia; today only 38,028 remain. Refugees who are registered have the right to send their children to school and to receive other services.

As a member of the Council of Europe, Georgia is required to ratify the European Convention on Minority Rights, but is one of a number of countries that have not yet done so. Ratification of this Convention would require Georgia to deal with issues facing minorities, because the Convention specifies the legal principles required to ensure the protection of national minorities.

The rights of ethnic minorities in non-conflict areas are usually respected, but self-government is very limited in the regions where ethnic Armenians, Azeris, Greeks, Abkhaz and Ossetians live. They use their native languages or Russian, while Georgian is the state language. Instability in the regions inhabited by the minority groups has resulted in the deployment of peacekeepers from Commonwealth of Independent States.

While official reports do not cite violations of academic freedom, corruption is reported to pervade the entire higher education system of Georgia. Problem areas include university examinations, academic credentials, procurement of goods and services and licensing and accreditation of institutions. Reports note instances of professional misconduct such as bribery, diploma mills, forgery, falsification of examination results, patronage and cronyism.

Reportedly most corrupt is university admissions. With an admissions system based on oral examinations, most admissions to public institutions were being sold outright to prospective students, and only 15% to 20% of the students entering university did so without paying bribes. A written admissions examination has now been implemented to try to remedy the situation.

Men and women have equality in law but not in practice. Access to the labour market has improved for women, but mainly in low-skilled positions regardless of qualifications. The result is that they earn less than men. Sexual harassment and violence against women in the workplace is reported but is rarely investigated. Many women seek employment abroad.

Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of divorce and is rarely reported. In rural areas kidnapping of women for marriage still takes place but is less frequent. Prostitution is not a criminal offence and is widespread. Trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is a problem

The minimum age for employment of children is age 16; in exceptional cases with parental consent work may begin at 14 or 15. Unhealthy and underground work is prohibited for minors under 18, while for those aged 16 and 17 reduced working hours are required. However, enforcement of this legislation is sporadic. Child prostitution and pornography are punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years. Reports of trafficking of street children and children in orphanages are cited. The breakup of families under extreme economic conditions has increased the number of vulnerable street children.

Workers have the right to form and join unions. The Georgian Trade Union Amalgamation (GTUA) consists of 31 sectoral unions claiming over 500,000 members. Workers, including teachers, complain of intimidation by employers against union organising. Collective bargaining is permitted but is not widespread. Workers have the right to strike with some restrictions.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited but it is reported to take place. The minimum wage as well as salaries and pensions are insufficient to meet basic needs for a worker and family. The work week is 41 hours.