Saint Lucia is an independent parliamentary democracy. The Governor General, as head of state, acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet and appoints the 11 Senators. The Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party and heads the legislature and the Cabinet. In the 2001 elections, held on the basis of universal suffrage and deemed free and fair, the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) regained power by winning 14 of 17 seats in the House of Assembly. 2 women serve in the House of Assembly, 4 were appointed Senators and 1 of 14 ministers is a woman, as is the Governor General.

The law provides for an independent judiciary, and this provision is respected. A Constitutional Review Commission has been established, and the legislature voted to end the use of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom as the highest court of appeal. The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice, inaugurated in April 2005, will now serve as the final stage of legal appeal.

Discrimination is not specifically dealt with in law, though there is a policy of non-discrimination in education, housing, jobs and promotion. There is a perception that public sector jobs are acquired through political ties.

Access to information is provided, and requested information is forthcoming. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed in law and in practice. Access to the Internet is not restricted. The independent media express a wide variety of views without restriction.

The International Organisation for Migration identifies the country as one of several in the region in which trafficking occurs, with Saint Lucia being both a source and a destination country for victims of trafficking. Women and children are trafficked to and within the country to work in prostitution.

Discrimination against persons infected with HIV/AIDS is reported to be common despite several government programmes to address this issue. The UN Population Fund provides support for HIV/AIDS prevention programmes for youth. A growing sex tourism industry is a cause for concern.

Education is compulsory for ages 5 to 15. It is not tuition-free since registration fees are required. One-third of primary school children continue to secondary school, and the dropout rate is higher for boys than for girls.

A 2-year programme begins at age 3. At this level, all education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 57%. All 344 teachers working at this level are women. The PTR is 12 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 5 to 15. Primary school begins at age 5 and continues for 7 years. At this level, 3% of education is private. The NER is 98% (46% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 90% reach the last grade of primary school. 2% of students repeat grades. 1,050 teachers (86% female) work at this level, and 78% of them are trained. The PTR is 23 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 12 and is completed in 5 years. At this level 5% of education is private. 8% of students in lower secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 63%. There are 814 secondary teachers, 535 (66% female) in lower secondary schools and 279 (65% female) in upper secondary schools. 60% of secondary teachers are trained. The PTR is 16 : 1 in both lower and upper secondary.

2,285 students (78% female) study in tertiary institutions, giving a Gross Enrolment Rate of 14% (22% of women). 4% of tertiary education is private. 1,026 students study abroad, mainly in the USA (299), Cuba (254), the UK (180), Trinidad and Tobago (136) and Canada (88).

No legislation specifically protects the rights of persons with disabilities. A community-based rehabilitation programme in residents' homes is available, as is primary schooling for deaf and blind children and a school for persons with mental disabilities. But reports indicate that disabilities are still stigmatised in St Lucia.

NGOs support schools for disabled children, providing specialist tuition for children who are mentally and physically challenged. A Child Development and Guidance Centre identifies, assesses and treats children with developmental disabilities. A Vocational Centre helps disabled persons find suitable employment. The government funds the cost of teachers, but the other costs are met by NGOs who run the centres.

A juvenile detention centre for boys is reported to have poor conditions and harsh treatment, including beatings by police officers. Little education is available for incarcerated juveniles.

No formal government policy toward refugees or asylum-seekers is in place.

Small European, Indo-Caribbean, Lebanese and Syrian minorities exist. A small, mixed Carib (Kalinago) population is mainly centred in the Choiseul region, but also in other towns on the Western coast. The official language of the country is English, but Creole is spoken.

Reports do not cite any restrictions or violations of academic freedom.

Women enjoy equal rights in economic, family and property law and in the justice system. Legislation prohibiting sexual harassment was enacted in 2005. Sexual harassment remains a problem, but there are now the legal means to deal with it.

Violence against women is recognised as a serious problem. Crimes of violence are prosecuted if the victim presses charges. Police are reported to be reluctant to intervene in domestic disputes, and victims remain reluctant to lay charges in cases of domestic violence. Prostitution is illegal, but with the growing sex tourism the problem is increasing.

The minimum age for employment is 16, for industrial work 18. Child labour exists in rural areas, where school age children help harvest bananas in small family businesses. Children work in petty trading. Most work is done when schools are closed. There are no formal reports of child labour.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions. Some 36% of the work force is unionised. Public sector employees have high rates of unionisation. Collective bargaining is permitted, and unions negotiate collective agreements on wages and benefits. The right to strike is permitted in both the public and private sectors, except for workers designated as essential services, such as police and fire departments. Other essential service workers must give 30 days' notice before striking. The labour legislation applies in export processing zones where no unions are registered.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited. The minimum wage is set for a limited number of occupations. It does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family, but most workers receive higher wages based on negotiated collective contracts. There is no legislated work week, but the common practice is a 40-hour work week.