Situated in a South Pacific archipelago of atolls and islands, the democratic Republic of the Marshall Islands has a 33-seat Parliament (Nitijela) and a Council of Chiefs (Iroij). In 2003 members of the Nitijela were elected on the basis of universal suffrage by secret ballot for 4-year terms. The President is elected to a 4-year term by a majority vote of the Nitijela; the Cabinet is appointed by the President from Nitijela membership. Executive power is held by the President and Cabinet. The President's United Democratic Party won a majority of seats.

No legal impediments exist on women's participation in politics, but traditional attitudes make it difficult for them to obtain political experience. 1 woman serves in the Nitijela and 4 are in the consultative Council of Chiefs.

Foreign relations operate under the terms of a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Since independence the Marshall Islands has established relations with 67 nations including other Pacific islands. Society is matrilineal, so that leadership and land ownership are derived from the mother's lineage.

The judiciary is independent. A traditional court has jurisdiction in customary law and traditional practice. The Cabinet appoints judges.

Discrimination on the basis of sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, place of birth, family status or descent is prohibited, as are arbitrary arrest and detention.

Some police and government corruption is reported. Public access to government information is not provided in law.

Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed, and Internet access is not restricted.

Education is compulsory, universal and tuition-free, but schools charge registration fees. In 2004 the government expanded compulsory education to apply to ages 4 to 18, but the resources to implement the programme were not made available.

Some 20% of school-age children do not attend school on a regular basis, in part because of distance from school and lack of transportation. Many families cannot afford the monthly registration fee and additional expenses for school. There are not sufficient high schools to accommodate all eligible children, so admission to high school is by competitive examination. Only two-thirds of children who complete Grade 8 attend secondary school.

A University of the South Pacific Net Satellite is intended to assist with teacher-training for Marshallese teachers, delivered from the University of the South Pacific, Suva Campus. A plan is being formulated under the leadership of the Minister of Education to see whether teacher training could be conducted, even to a limited degree, using new forms of technology for the benefit of outer island schools.

A 2-year programme begins at age 4. At this level 19% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 48%. There are 126 ECE teachers (60% female). The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 12 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 18. Primary school begins at age 6 and lasts 6 years. The NER is 90% (47% female). There are 526 primary teachers (34% female). The PTR is 17 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 12 and lasts 6 years. The NER is 74%. 3% of students repeat grades. There are 387 secondary teachers, 183 (35% female) in lower secondary and 204 (42% female) in upper secondary school. The PTR is 17 : 1 in lower secondary and 17 : 1 in upper secondary education.

919 students (56% female) study in tertiary institutions, for a Gross Enrolment Rate of 17%. 25 students study abroad, in the USA (24) and the UK (1).

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited in education or in other state services. Persons diagnosed as psychotic are imprisoned with the general prison population and visited by a doctor when their behaviour disturbs others.

The government adheres to the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and it cooperates with the Office of the UNHCR to assist refugees and asylum-seekers. But it has not signed the Convention and has not established a system for providing protection to refugees. There is a small illegal immigrant population consisting mainly of Pacific Islanders displaced by nuclear testing and Chinese women who are victims of trafficking.

Reports do not indicate any violations of academic freedom.

Traditional rank and inheritance of property is matrilineal, but customary law results in the usual patriarchal patterns. Educated women hold prominent positions in government service, while women in the private sector tend to be in low-paying jobs. Legislation specifies the age of consent as 16. Teachers and caregivers must report child abuse, which is said to be on the increase.

Domestic violence is common. Culture and tradition discourage victims from reporting domestic violence. Sexual harassment is not prohibited by law and is not considered a serious problem.

There is no law or regulation setting a minimum age for employment of children, who are not usually employed in the wage economy. Some assist their families in fishing, agriculture and other small-scale domestic enterprises.

The law provides for the right of freedom of association, but no trade unions have been formed to date. The country has no history or culture of organised labour. There is no labour law addressing collective bargaining or other trade union rights. The right to strike is not provided for in law. Some forced or compulsory labour is reported among the illegal immigrant population.
The minimum wage of US$2.00 an hour for both government and private sector employees does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The maximum hours of work are not legislated.