Mali is a multi-party, democratic republic headed by the President, who is head of state, head of government and commander in chief of the armed forces. The President is elected a 5-year term and can be elected twice. The President appoints the Prime Minister as head of government. The Council of Ministers, chaired by the President, consists of the Prime Minister and 22 ministers, 6 of whom are women. The 160-member National Assembly is elected for a 5-year term in elections held on the basis of universal suffrage and deemed to be free and fair. 147 of the National Assembly members (at present including 15 women) are elected in constituencies, and the other 13 members are elected by Malians living abroad.

8 political parties are represented in the Assembly. 14 members of the National Assembly and 2 members of Cabinet are from marginalised ethnic minorities from the regions of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal. The judiciary is independent in law but is subject to influence by the executive branch. There are accusations of bribery and influence-peddling in the legal system. Local disputes are settled by village chiefs and elders.

Discrimination on the basis of social origin, colour, language, sex or race is prohibited, and the law is generally enforced.
There are reports of corruption in government and in the police force as well as of vigilante and mob killings. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, and in Douentza, the poorest district, 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.

Freedom of speech and of the press are protected in law, and diverse views are expressed. Internet access is not restricted.

Trafficking of children is illegal but continues. A programme has been instituted to rehabilitate victims and to educate people on the dangers of trafficking. The country is a source, transit and destination for children trafficked to rice fields, mines, domestic service and prostitution. Shelter and protection are provided for victims.

The governor of Bamako has refused to grant recognition to a gay association.

Tuition-free education is compulsory up to age 12. Parents have to provide uniforms and school supplies, which is difficult for many families. A lack of schools in rural areas further impairs access to basic education. Some 80% of the population live in rural communities.

At all educational levels, school enrolment is lower for girls than for boys, partly owing to early marriage. Low rates of enrolment are also due to teacher shortages from poor salaries and working conditions, a lack of supplies and materials and poor infrastructure. Literacy among women is only 12%.

There are 852 registered medersas (Koranic schools), whose curriculum consists of the study of the Koran, reading, writing and mathematics. 10% of all primary school students study in medersas, which are private schools with some support from the government in the form of textbooks, teacher training and teaching materials and which are monitored by the Ministry of Education. The Koranic schools depend on donations from parents, so their children, known as garibouts, beg for funds for them. Some reports charge that these children spend more time begging than in the classroom.

A 4-year programme begins at age 3. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 2%.

Education is compulsory for ages 7 to 15. Primary school begins at age 7 and continues for 6 years. At this level 35% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 46% (43% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 66% continue to the last grade of primary school. 19% of students repeat grades. 26,737 teachers (28% female) work at this level. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 52 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and is completed in 6 years. At this level 22% of education is private. 41% of students in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The GER is 22%. In lower secondary teachers number 6,878 (15% female). The PTR in lower secondary is 41 : 1.

25,803 students (21% female) study in tertiary institutions, giving a GER of 2%. 1,221 students from abroad study in Mali, while 2,664 Malian students study overseas, mainly in France (1,523), USA (378), Morocco (214), Cuba (171) and Canada (97).

No law specifically protects the rights of persons with disabilities in education or in the provision of other state services. NGOs operate projects to educate disabled children, but they are limited in scope and capacity and do not provide education for all types of disability. Little else is available for disabled children.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or 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 civil war in neighbouring Ivory Coast has been a severe blow to Mali's economy, and of the estimated 2 million Malians who had immigrated to Cote d'Ivoire in search of economic prosperity, over 50,000 have now returned home. Little current information is available on the situation of refugees.

Unlike in earlier years, there were no incidents of violence between Arabs and Kountas in the north of the country. The population consists of Bambara 52%, Fulani 11%, Soninke 7%, Minianka 4%, Songhai 7%, Tuareg and Moor 5%, and other groups 14%. Ethnic groups tend to live in different regions of the country, with the majority Bambara in the region of the capital.

Reports do not indicate violations or restrictions of academic freedom.

Women constitute only 15% of the paid labour force because of their limited access to education and employment. The government is the largest employer, and in civil service positions women are entitled to equal pay for work of equal value. Sexual harassment is not addressed in law. A national plan of action to reduce gender inequality has been adopted.

Female genital mutilation is a common practice, and a plan has been adopted to eliminate it by 2008. The legal age of marriage for women is 18 and for men 21. Girls under 15 may marry with parental or special judicial consent. Underage marriage is a problem, particularly in rural areas. For example, among the Fulani, Minianka and Soninke, parents contract marriage for girls as young as 11, though the practice is illegal. Promotion of girls' education has helped reduce the number of underage marriages.

Domestic violence is common. Family law favours men; women are vulnerable in divorce, child custody and inheritance rights.
Unless specified otherwise on the marriage certificate, the marriage is presumed to be polygynous.

With parental approval, children aged 12 to 14 can work for 2 hours a day during school vacations; children aged 14 to 16 may work up to 4½ hours a day with the permission of a labour inspector; those aged 16 to 18 can do work that is not physically demanding for 8 hours a day (boys) and 6 hours a day (girls).

However, labour legislation is not respected in agriculture, mining and domestic service, which account for the majority of child labour. Apprenticeship in a parent's trade begins early. The ILO is investigating abusive forms of child labour.

Workers can form and join trade unions, except military and police personnel. 95% of salaried employees are union members. Collective bargaining is permitted, and some 60% of workers are covered by collective agreements. The development of unions outside the traditional union structures has resulted in more bargaining between unions and their employers. Wages are set by tripartite negotiations for members of the National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) and for the Confederation of Malian Workers. The agreements reached in these negotiations set the pattern for other unions. Civil service salary levels are set nationally based on an index established by the government.

Workers have the right to strike, other than civil servants and those in essential services. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, but such practices are reported. Servitude relationships among descendants of slaves and their former owners continue to link different ethnic groups in the north.

The national monthly minimum wage rate is US$53 (28,000 CFA francs); this does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The standard work week is 40 hours