Namibia is a multi-party, democratic republic. Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in 2004, and the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) won 55 of 72 National Assembly seats. Elections were held on the basis of universal suffrage and were deemed free and fair despite some irregularities. 6 opposition parties won the other 17 seats.

There are 20 women in the National Assembly, and 5 of 45 ministers are women. The indigenous San people are marginalised in politics, and only 1 member of the San community holds a seat in the National Assembly. All other ethnic minorities are represented in Parliament, and some hold Cabinet positions such as that of deputy Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly.

Discrimination on the basis of race, creed, gender or religion is prohibited, as is "the practice and ideology of apartheid," but discrimination takes place.

The judiciary is independent but reportedly inefficient. Security forces are accused of abuse of detainees, and there are incidents of mob violence.

The income disparity between black and white citizens is high, and unemployment among the black population is a serious problem. An anticorruption commission has been set up.

Public access to government information is not provided in law, but requests are usually met. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed, but some officials are accused of intimidating journalists and fostering self-censorship. However, the media criticise the government openly, and Internet access is not restricted.

Reports do not cite trafficking as a problem.

Homosexuals are reported to encounter discrimination in employment and disparaging remarks from senior government officials.

The government has allocated some 23% of its budget for compulsory education for children aged 6 to 16. Tuition is free, but fees are charged for uniforms, books, boarding costs and school improvement. The many families that cannot afford the charges find their children excluded from school. Some 95% of students attend to the end of primary school, while 89% continue to the end of compulsory education at age 16.

More girls than boys are enrolled in secondary schools. Many San children do not attend school at all. Corporal punishment is illegal but continues to be used in rural areas. However, legal action has been taken: the high court ordered a teacher and the Ministry of Education to pay US$5,500 (NAD 35,000) to a child who was beaten in school. The government has reduced or eliminated school fees and provided social grants for 100,000 HIV/AIDS orphans. Education International and the Namibian National Teachers' Union (NANTU) operate a programme to train teachers about HIV prevention through education. Materials on HIV prevention, developed locally, are provided for use with students.

A 3-year programme begins at age 3. All education at this level is private. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 29%.

Education is compulsory for ages 6 to 15. Primary school begins at age 6 and continues for 7 years. At this level, 4% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 29% (50% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 81% continue to the last grade of primary school. 13% of students repeat grades. 14,442 teachers (61% female) work at this level, and 50% of teachers are trained. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 28 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and is completed in 5 years. The NER is 37%. 8% of students repeat grades. There are 5,989 secondary teachers in all, with 4,733 (54% female) in lower secondary and 1,256 (47% female) in upper secondary education. The PTR is 24 : 1 in lower secondary and 22 : 1 in upper secondary.

11,788 students (53% female) study in tertiary institutions, for a GER of 6%. 6,847 Namibian students study overseas, mainly in South Africa (6,530), the U.S.A. (95), the United Kingdom (74), Australia (24), and Germany (16).

Discrimination on the basis of disability is not addressed in the constitution. Social discrimination in employment occurs against persons with disabilities. People with disabilities have lobbied for the establishment of a National Disability Council that can look after their specific interests and affairs. While children with disabilities have the right to primary education, there are few opportunities for them in formal education, so they have lower levels of achievement than non-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 government cooperates with the UNHCR in assisting refugees. Some 7,000 refugees live in the Osire Refugee Camp, 5,000 from Angola and the balance from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.

Refugees and asylum-seekers are not permitted to live or work outside the camp. Primary education is provided to refugee children at the camp; the government assists with secondary education by providing financial sponsorship for refugee children at schools outside the camp.

Social and ethnic discrimination persists against minorities, especially against the San, the country's first inhabitants, who are exploited by other ethnic groups. Legally, all indigenous groups participate equally in decisions affecting their lands, cultures and allocations of natural resources. But the San, living in isolation with minimal access to education and limited economic opportunities, have been excluded from decisions affecting their lives.

Countermeasures are now being taken. One of these is to increase San access to education. Many San children do not attend school, and a lack of birth certificates complicates their access to services.

Reports do not indicate any restriction of academic freedom.

Discrimination against women is illegal. However, women who marry under customary law face discrimination, such as in the traditional practice of allowing family members to take the property of deceased men from their widows and children. Sexual harassment is prohibited but remains a problem. Domestic violence is widespread, but 15 police units have been staffed with officers trained to assist victims of domestic assault.

The minimum age for employment is 14, except for minors involved in night work and heavier labour, who must be older. The minimum age for work is inconsistent with the age for completion of compulsory education. Children under 14 work on family and commercial farms and in the informal sector. Child prostitution is reported. Labour inspectors monitor abuses. Sexual exploitation, child pornography and child prostitution are criminal offences. The age of sexual consent is 16 years.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions, and employees have the right to bargain individually or collectively. Unions have collective bargaining rights when a majority of workers in the sector are members. Collective bargaining is not widely practised. Workers have the right to strike, except those designated as providing essential services. Strike action can only be used in disputes involving work-related interests. The labour law applies to export processing zones, and unions have been organising in them. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, but media reports indicate that farm workers and domestic workers are often not compensated for their work.

No minimum wage is mandated. Wage levels remain very low. The Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU), an EI affiliate, signed an agreement with the government on appropriate appointment requirements and remuneration packages for teachers. According to the agreement, the conditions for professionally unqualified and underqualified teachers will remain unchanged, while qualified teachers will have more benefits and higher pay.