There have been no reported allegations of human rights violations by the Government and no known requests for investigations. Kiribati is not a member of the United Nations. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, creed, national origin, or sex, and the Government generally observed this prohibition in practice. Kiribati society, fundamentally egalitarian, has no privileged chiefly class. Women Violence against women does not appear to be a major problem in this isolated, rural society.
Rape is a crime under the law, and the law is enforced when charges are brought to court.
The traditional culture in which males are dominant has been an impediment to women taking a more active role in the economy. This is slowly changing, and more women are finding work in unskilled and semiskilled occupations. There are also signs of affirmative action in government hiring and promotions to redress this culturally based inequity. A recent example of such affirmative action is the appointment of Makurita Baaro as the nation's first female Secretary for Foreign Affairs. The selection of female participants for overseas training programs in the United States, Japan, and other countries also bears out a firm commitment to the advancement of women.