Tuvalu is not a member of the United Nations. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, creed, sex, or national origin, and the Government generally respects these prohibitions. However, the traditional culture has limited women's job opportunities. Women Violence against women is rare. If wife beating occurs, it is infrequent and has not become a source of societal concern.
Women increasingly hold positions in the health and education sectors.
This trend was partly due to former Prime Minister Paeniu, who favored greater opportunities for women. Paeniu named women among his senior advisers and included them in his Cabinet. Although the current Prime Minister has not appointed any women to his Cabinet, he has encouraged the participation of women in other areas of the Government, especially in the Tuvaluan Education for Life program. The Government is committed to children's human rights and welfare and provides commensurate funding for children's welfare within the context of the total resources available to the State. There are no reports of child abuse.