The Kingdom of Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy whose government is headed by a Prime Minister and Cabinet who have executive authority. The King has a ceremonial function. The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) won 79 of the 80 directly elected seats in the National Assembly in elections held on the basis of universal suffrage that were deemed free and fair. 9 opposition parties gained representation in the 40 proportionally elected seats. The Senate is made up of 22 chiefs whose membership is hereditary and 11 members appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Women have 14 National Assembly seats and 12 of the 33 Senate seats. 4 women are government ministers. No members of minorities are in the Cabinet, Assembly or Senate. The judiciary is independent in law and in practice. Women and men have equal rights in the civil court, but certain rights and privileges are given to men in the traditional court. A male plaintiff can opt for customary judgments by a chief rather than a civil court judgement, a choice that disadvantages women plaintiffs.

Discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, opinion, national or social origin, birth or other status is prohibited, and the government tries to enforce the law.
Police are accused of using excessive force.

The kingdom has an unemployment rate of 45%, with 49% of people living below the poverty line. Water exported to South Africa is the main source of revenue for the kingdom.

Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed in law and in practice. Independent newspapers criticise the government. South African and global satellite television and radio broadcasts are widely available. Government ministers and officials have initiated libel and defamation suits against journalists. Internet services are not restricted.

The HIV/AIDS incidence of some 30% of the population contributes to a very low life expectancy. Trafficking in persons is not addressed in law, but reports do not cite trafficking as a problem.

Members of Parliament have criticised the Child Protection Act as inadequate, and Parliament has begun work on a new law. Primary education is free but is not compulsory. Plans have been announced to make education compulsory by the 2007 school year. School attendance is low in rural areas where few schools exist. Subsistence agriculture plays an important role in the economy but results in many children working rather than being in school. For some, agricultural work is the only way families can afford fees for the purchase of uniforms, books and school materials.

Boys are more likely to be out of school than girls. In rural Basotho society, livestock herding by young boys interferes with school attendance. The spread of HIV/AIDS has led to a rise in the number of abandoned street children. Young orphan girls move to urban areas to work as prostitutes. The trend to commercial prostitution by children under age 18 is reported to be a growing problem.

A 3-year programme begins at age 3. All education at this level is private. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 31%. Of the 2,023 teachers working at this level, 99% are women. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 20 : 1.

Education is not compulsory but is free for ages 6 to 15. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 6 years. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 86% (50% female). Of students who start primary school, 57% continue to the last grade. 18% of students repeat grades. 9,971 teachers (36% female) work at this level, and 67% of teachers are trained. The PTR is 44 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and is completed in 5 years. 1% of students study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 23% (18% of boys, 28% of girls). 9% of students repeat grades. Secondary teachers total 3,546, of whom 2,329 (56% female) are in lower secondary and 1,217 (52% female) in upper secondary schools. 85% of secondary teachers are trained. The PTR is 27 : 1 in lower secondary and 18 : 1 in upper secondary.

6,108 students (61% female) study in tertiary institutions. The GER is 3%. There are 4,527 students studying abroad, mainly in South Africa (4,366), the United Kingdom (42), USA (39) and Australia (15).

Save the Children Fund is considered the lead agency on disability in Lesotho, running hostels for boys with polio who attend mainstream schools and for visually impaired boys who attend a resource centre for blind people. Following policy negotiations on inclusive education, Save the Children was appointed to coordinate a national programme with the Ministry of Education. Social discrimination against the disabled remains common.

The law provides for the granting of refugee status or asylum in accordance with the definition in the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees and has designated a Commissioner for Refugees. During the apartheid era, Lesotho hosted many refugees. It now has some 100 refugees from Congo. The UNHCR notes that the refugees are well integrated into local society, living and working alongside their Basotho hosts. Refugee children attend school.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) noted that even though Lesotho claimed to have no problems of racial discrimination, it was obliged to implement effective legislation, policies and programmes to combat and redress racial discrimination. Economic and racial tensions between the Chinese business community and the Basotho are cited as a problem. Some instances of racial tension are also cited between the Indian minority and the Basotho.

The government owns and administers the university, and reports indicate that academic staff are free to express opinions.

Traditional law under the chiefs limits the property and inheritance rights for women. Under traditional law a married woman is considered a minor during the lifetime of her husband and cannot enter into a contract for employment or education without her husband's consent. She has no standing in civil court. The tradition of paying a bride price is common.

Domestic violence is reported as frequent. A wife may return to her family home if she is abused by her husband. Few domestic violence cases are brought to trial. Sexual harassment is prohibited, but despite reports that it is common, charges are not laid.

The minimum age for employment in commercial or industrial enterprises is 15, and for hazardous employment 18. Children under 14 are employed in family businesses. Child labour laws apply to all sectors except agriculture.

Child labour is a problem in the informal sector, and urban street children are increasing in numbers. Boys as young as age 4 herd livestock and carry packages for shoppers. Girls work as domestics, and both boys and girls work as street vendors. Conditions can be dangerous for young livestock herders. Moreover, herding is seen as a rite of passage and results in the exclusion of many boys from formal education.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions, except for civil servants and police. Civil servants may form associations. All civil servants are considered to be in essential services and are not allowed to strike.

There are 4 registered trade union federations: the Lesotho Federation of Democratic Unions, the Lesotho Congress of Democratic Unions and two organisations both named the Lesotho Trade Union Congress. Unionized workers represent some 2% of the workforce. About 8% of the male labour force works in the mines of South Africa, where they are members of the South African National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Collective bargaining and the right to strike are permitted for union members. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, and reports indicate the law is enforced.

A national minimum wage is determined by a tripartite committee. The monthly minimum wage for unskilled labourers is $105 (684 maloti). Minimum wages for workers in low skilled jobs do not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family.