The Republic of Rwanda is dominated by a strong presidency. Following the genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) formed a coalition government of National Unity during a transitional period from 1994 to 2004. A new constitution was adopted and presidential and legislative elections held for 7-year terms. Observers reported that the elections were peaceful but flawed. The RPF won the majority of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate. 6 other political parties sit in the legislature.

At least one-third of the seats in Parliament must be held by women, so Rwanda has the largest percentage of women in Parliament in the world: women hold 8 seats in the 26-seat Senate and 39 seats in the 80-seat Chamber of Deputies. 9 women were appointed as ministers, representing one-third of Cabinet positions. 1 Batwa (Pygmy) serves in the Senate; none are in the Chamber of Deputies.

Despite the presence of a UN peacekeeping mission, there is continuing instability on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where armed rebel groups operate with impunity. Rwandan Hutus who fled to the DRC following the genocide are said to be led by those responsible for the genocide. The demobilisation of some 600 former child soldiers and their reintegration into communities has taken place in Rwanda.

The judiciary is independent in law but not in practice. The volume of genocide-related cases required special courts (gacaca) to be established, which face challenges in accomplishing justice and reconciliation.

Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, tribe, clan, colour, sex, region, social origin, religion, economic status, culture, language, social status or physical or mental disability is prohibited. The government tries to implement the law but discrimination occurs.

Security forces are accused of abuse and arbitrary arrest. Prosecutions of government officials have taken place for corruption.

Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed but restricted in practice. There are reports of government harassment of journalists who criticise official policy. Rwandan journalists are civil servants, and self-censorship is practised to avoid reprisals. Radio is the most important medium of communication. Foreign media provide independent news. Criminal libel laws suppress criticism and limit press freedom, but access to the Internet is not restricted. Access to information is not provided for in law, and government information is difficult to obtain.

The country is a source for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation, domestic labour and combat. Impoverished children are exploited by organised prostitution networks and recruited to militias. Forced labour and the use of children as soldiers also continue in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A Senate commission has accused religious institutions, journalists, corrupt local government leaders, secondary schools and the national university of engaging in "divisionist activities and genocide ideology." Amnesty International accuses the government of manipulating the concept of genocide to silence those critical of the government.

The genocide and deaths from HIV/AIDS have left thousands of children as heads of households: children are reported to head at least 65,000 households. Some children have been trafficked into prostitution and domestic servitude. Education International and the education unions of Rwanda, EER and SNEP, have instituted a programme to train education personnel on HIV/AIDS prevention through education. Culturally relevant materials have been produced and provided for use in schools. UNICEF reports that some 2,140 child prostitutes work in the major cities, where thousands of street children can be seen.

Education is compulsory to age 13. While primary school tuition fees have been waived, parents are still required to pay to support the operation of schools. While children are not expelled for failure to pay fees, and school fees are waived for orphans, the division of children into those who can and those who cannot pay results in separate classification of children in classes and schools. Schools lack basic supplies and space is at a premium in schools. Not all children of primary school age can be accommodated in schools.

School entrance exams decide on entry to secondary school. Only some 10% of students are enrolled in secondary school beyond the compulsory education age of 13 years. This is in contrast to 73% of primary school age children who are enrolled in primary school. Only 31% children enrolled in primary school reach the final grade. When one notes that the pupil teacher ratio in primary school is reported at 62:1 it is not surprising that the completion rate of primary school is so low.

There are approximately six thousand street children in the country who are rounded up and placed in foster homes or government-run facilities. The law does not prohibit convicted genocidaires from entering certain professions; the codes of ethics for some professions, including that of teachers, do not allow convicted criminals to enter the profession.

A 3-year programme begins at age 4. All education at this level is private.

Education is compulsory for ages 7 to 13. Primary school begins at age 7 and continues for 6 years. At this level, 1% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is reported at 73% (51% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 31% continue to the last grade of primary school. 19% of students repeat grades. 28,254 teachers (51% female) work at this level, and 82% of them are trained. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 62 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and is completed in 6 years. 24% of students in lower secondary and 56% in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) is 18% in lower secondary and at 10% in upper secondary school. Secondary teachers number 7,750 in total (20% female).

25,233 students (39% female) study in tertiary institutions. The GER is 3%. At this level 43% of education is private. 1,929 students study abroad, mainly in France (482), Belgium (376), the U.S.A. (275), Burundi (217), the United Kingdom (82) and Germany (77).

Discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability is prohibited, but no laws specifically prohibit discrimination in education or access to other social services. Few disabled persons have access to education. More than 800 minors are incarcerated in the prison system. All minors who were detained for genocide-related crimes have been released. Little, if any, education or training is available to minors in detention.

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 UNHCR estimates that some 56,500 Rwandans remain in exile. Ex-combatants who return from the DRC as part of the peace process have been resettled. The UNHCR provides temporary protection to some 43,500 persons. A UN panel of experts reported that the rebel Rwandan Defence Force recruits children in Rwandan refugee camps as soldiers. An international organisation reported that uniformed men from Congo-based militias recruit children in Rwandan refugee camps.

Identity cards no longer have any references to ethnic affiliation, a deliberate ban to oppose genocide ideology. The Batwa, who make up less than 1% of the population and are descendants of the Twa (Pygmy) tribes, are no longer designated as an indigenous ethnic group. This has made it impossible for groups to advocate for the improvement of the situation of the Batwa. The Batwa live on the margins of society with very little access to education and are treated as inferior citizens by both Hutus and Tutsis.

The practice by the head of the national university to monitor staff and students for evidence of genocide ideology is reported to have lessened. In 2005, some high school and university students were accused of engaging in genocide ideology. The names of over 60 teachers and students were submitted to authorities for prosecution by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; they were charged, then released, and they resumed work or studies. Such actions is said to cause self-censorship among the academic community.

The constitution reserves one-third seats in Parliament for women. A minister is responsible for family and gender promotion. Training is provided for government officials to help increase the role of women in the workforce. The genocide left thousands of women as heads of households. Still performing most of the subsistence farming, women have taken on more work in the formal sector, and many now operate small businesses thanks to micro credit loans to rural women. But they have few opportunities for education. Scholarships have been introduced for girls in primary and secondary school to encourage them to attend school.

The new Family Code has improved the position of women in marriage, divorce and child custody, and women can now inherit property from their fathers and husbands. The legal age for marriage for both males and females is 21.

Domestic violence against women is not prohibited, and domestic disputes are handled by the extended family. Prostitution and trafficking in women for sexual exploitation are problems.

The minimum age for full-time work is 18, though children aged 14 who have completed primary school can become apprentices. Children under age 16 can work with their parents' permission, though not night work or work deemed hazardous by the ministry of labour.

However, the law does not apply to subsistence agriculture, where some 90% of the work force is employed. A UN report notes that 31% of children aged 5 to 14 are engaged in child labour, and children head thousands of households. Forced and compulsory labour by children is prohibited, but there are still reports of children being kidnapped to become child soldiers in refugee camps. Overall, children are abused and paid little, because labour legislation is not effectively enforced.

Workers, including some civil servants, have the right to form and to join trade unions. About 90% of workers work in subsistence farming and in the informal sector and as a result are unorganised. Only 7% of the work force is in the formal sector. There are no functioning labour courts to settle disputes. Collective bargaining is permitted but is limited in practice; only the Central Union of Rwandan Workers has a collective agreement. Except for public service workers and those deemed to be in essential services, the right to strike is guaranteed. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions contends that the definition of essential services is too broad.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited except for prisoners who are assigned to work in public maintenance. Prisoners are no longer allowed to be hired out to work in private residences and businesses. Citizens are required to participate in night watch patrols, and those who refuse have been arrested, detained and reportedly beaten.

The government is the main employer and sets wage rates. Minimum wages vary according to the job but no minimum wage provides a decent standard of living for a worker and family; workers accept less than the minimum wage. The official work week is 40 hours.