The broadcast media are both private and public. Freedom of association and assembly is respected. Domestic violence and other violence against women is extensive and remains a low priority for police and prosecutors. However, in a 1999 landmark ruling, the court of appeals overturned a death sentence and reduced the charge from murder to manslaughter in the case of a woman the court said suffered from battered-wife syndrome. Labor unions are well organized, powerful, and politically active, although union membership has declined.
Strikes are legal and occur frequently.