The remote and isolated islands of Agalega and St. Brandon are an exception to universal suffrage. Their nearly 500 citizens are not registered as voters and have no representation in Parliament. Political parties often match the ethnicity of their candidates to the ethnic composition of particular electoral districts. Six of the 66 members of the Assembly are women. Section 4 Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights A variety of human rights groups operate without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases.
Government officials are cooperative and responsive to their views.
In October Mauritius hosted the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Mauritian NGO's actively participated in the NGO workshop that preceded the event. Issues such as the Dangerous Drug Act and stringent immigration policies were debated openly. The Constitution specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, caste, place of origin, political opinion, color, creed, or sex. The Government generally respects these provisions.