The Constitution provides citizens with the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercise this right in practice through periodic, free, and fair elections held on the basis of universal suffrage. No legal impediments exist to prevent women and indigenous people from holding public office. However, historical patterns of bias against women and the deleterious effects of poor educational achievement and a generally inferior socioeconomic status for indigenous people have contributed to their underrepresentation among political leaders. There are no Aboriginals serving as M.P.'s. The Government and the opposition have both declared their intent to increase the number of women elected to public office, but little progress has been made since these declarations.
Government officials are very cooperative and responsive to their views.
The law prohibits discrimination based on the above listed factors, and the Government and an independent judiciary vigorously enforce the prohibition. Women Social analysts and commentators estimate that domestic violence may affect as many as one family in three or four. Government statisticians stress that, because of underreporting and the lack of an agreed method for collecting statistics, it is impossible to provide an accurate national profile of the number of women who are victims of domestic violence. Women have equal status under the law, and the law provides for pay equity. There are highly organised and effective private and public women's rights organisations at the federal, state and local levels.