Government officials are cooperative and responsive to their views. The law prohibits racial, sexual, or social discrimination, and the Government enforces these provisions. Blatant societal discrimination occurs only rarely. Neither society nor the Government is tolerant of violence against women, and the government prosecutes persons accused of such. In addition, there are 150-200 cases of sexual abuse in an average year.
Women enjoy the same property rights as men.
In the absence of a prenuptial agreement, property is divided equally upon dissolution of a marriage. The law mandates equal pay for equal work. To date there have been no work-related discrimination suits. Since 1988 the average annual increase in employment for women has been 4.6 percent, compared to an increase of 3.1 percent per year for males, but the rate is not stable across age groups. In January 1995, the Government created a new Ministry for the Promotion of Women in order to encourage a climate of equal treatment and opportunity in fact as well as law.