Women
Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape, including spousal rape, is a crime punishable by a maximum 25 years’ imprisonment, a $50,000 fine, or both. (The U.S. dollar is the official currency.) Domestic violence is a criminal offense. Alcohol and drug abuse contributed to violence and crime against women and children. There are no shelters for victims of rape and domestic violence. There was a domestic violence counselor available through the Bureau of Public Health. The government conducted public education efforts to combat abuse against women and children. Street patrol officers and police academy cadets received training to deal with domestic violence.
Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is illegal and punishable by a maximum one year imprisonment, a $1,000 fine, or both. There were no reported cases.
Reproductive Rights: Couples and individuals generally have the right to decide the number, spacing, and timing of their children; manage their reproductive health; and have the information and means to do so free from discrimination, coercion, or violence.
Discrimination: The law provides for the same legal status and rights for women as for men. The constitution provides women and men equal parental rights, privileges, and responsibilities. The inheritance of property and of traditional rank is matrilineal, with women occupying positions of importance within the traditional system. There were no reports of unequal pay for equal work or gender-related job discrimination.
Children
Birth Registration: At least one parent must be a citizen of the country in order to transmit citizenship to a child. Birth registration occurs immediately, and there were no reports of failure to register. Authorities register a child born to foreign national parents as a citizen of the parents’ countries.
Child Abuse: Government and society generally respected children’s rights, although there were isolated reports of child neglect.
The Office of Victims of Crimes, under the Ministry of Health’s Office on Social Health, deals with victims of crimes. The Office of Victims of Crimes reported that most violence or abuse against children occurred in the home and generally involved family members. The Office of Victims of Crimes worked closely with police officers and the Office of the Attorney General to aggressively investigate and prosecute cases of violence against children.
Early and Forced Marriage: There is no minimum age for marriage between two citizens. The minimum age for marriage between a citizen and a noncitizen is 18 years for a man and 16 years for a woman, and women younger than 18 years must obtain parental permission. Although no statistics were available on the prevalence of marriage by persons younger than 18 years, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) reported that underage marriage was not common.
Sexual Exploitation of Children: The law prohibits commercial sexual exploitation of children. The age of consensual sex is 17 years. Continuous sexual assault of a minor younger than 15 years is a felony and is subject to a maximum imprisonment of 25 years, a $50,000 fine, or both. The law does not specifically address child pornography.
International Child Abductions: The country is not a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. See the Department of State’s Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at travel.state.gov/content/childabduction/en/legal/compliance.html.
Anti-Semitism
There were reportedly less than 20 members of the Jewish community in the country. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts.
Trafficking in Persons
See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
Persons with Disabilities
The constitution prohibits discrimination against persons with physical or mental disabilities. The Disabled Persons’ Antidiscrimination Act and the Programs and Services for Handicapped Children Act cover persons with mental disabilities and persons with physical disabilities, and the government enforced the provisions of these acts. The government provides a monthly stipend of $70 to $100 for persons with disabilities. The law includes a provision for limited access to government buildings for persons with disabilities, and the government generally enforced this provision. No legislation specifically addressed transportation, communication, the judicial system, or the provision of other state services for persons with disabilities. Most public schools had separate programs to address the education needs of students with disabilities that included mainstreaming them with other students.
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The law prohibits noncitizens from purchasing land, and there are no provisions for naturalization.
Some foreign nationals experienced discrimination in employment, pay, housing, education, and access to social services, although the law prohibits such discrimination (see section 7.d.). Some citizens viewed foreign workers negatively. Foreign residents were subject to discrimination and were targets of petty and sometimes violent crimes, as well as other harmful acts against persons and property. Foreign residents made credible complaints authorities did not pursue or prosecute crimes committed against noncitizens with the same vigor as crimes against citizens.
Acts of Violence, Discrimination, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
No laws addressed sexual orientation and gender identity. There were no reports of violence or discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.