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Human Rights Watch tiers are dependent upon on how each country’s domestic efforts meet minimum standards. Tier 3 countries are deemed to be not in compliance with the minimum standards and not making significant efforts; Tier 2 countries are not in compliance, but making significant efforts; and Tier 1 countries are in compliance.

AFGHANISTAN

Woman’s rights, which made a positive resurgence following the defeat of the Taliban by US forces has suffered a huge turnaround since then. The Taliban have banned schools for women and have induced many regions of the country to re-institute the mandatory wearing of Burkhas and “Sharia law” which subjugates women to male dominance, allows children to be married forcibly to old men and prescribes stoning to death for infidelity. There has also been a steep rise in “honor killings” in which women who meet with men before they are married or sleep with men before marriage are killed by their own families.

ALGERIA

Claims filed by women for rape and sexual abuse continued to face judicial obstacles. Women's rights activists have documented a significant increase in reports of violence against women. When spousal abuse occurred, the penal code states that a person must be incapacitated for 15 days or more and present a doctor's note certifying the injuries before filing charges for battery. Because of societal pressures, women frequently were reluctant to endure this process. According to the CNCPPDH, approximately 4,500 women were victims of assault during the first half of the year. Police statistics for that time period reported 2,675 cases of physical assault, 1,359 cases of abuse, 144 cases of sexual assault, and four deaths. Approximately 20 percent of assailants were identified as male family members. A study researched in 2005 emphasized that the home was the "privileged place for spousal violence."

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

The most serious human rights abuse in the country is the illicit trafficking of women for prostitution.

CONGO

Congo is rated tier two. The most serious human rights abuse in the country is the illicit trafficking of women for prostitution. In 2008 report, the UN, reporting on violence against women concluded that "due to political interference and corruption, perpetrators, especially those who belong to the State security forces, go unpunished."

COSTA RICA

The most serious human rights abuse in the country is illicit traffic in women for prostitution and other segments of the sex trade.

COTE D'IVOIRE

The most serious human rights abuse in the country is illicit traffic in women for prostitution and other segments of the sex trade.

CUBA

Cuba remains the one country in Latin American that represses nearly all forms of political dissent. The most serious human rights abuse in the country is illicit traffic in women for prostitution. Additionally, Cuba often allows adults to voyage outside the state only if the children remain behind as hostages

EGYPT

Egypt is a tier two transit country for women trafficked from Eastern European countries to Israel for sexual exploitation. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights found that 83 percent of Egyptian women have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime.

GUYANA

Rape and incest are not frequently reported nor prosecuted; spousal rape is not illegal, which contributed to an atmosphere where victims were often reluctant to report incidents. If a case does come to trial, a judge has discretion to issue a sentence of any length in a rape conviction, depending upon the circumstances and severity of the act committed. Violence against women, including domestic violence, was widespread and crossed racial and socioeconomic lines. NGOs reported a perception that some police officers and magistrates could be bribed to make cases of domestic violence "go away." The government also did not prosecute cases in which the alleged victim or victim's family agreed to drop the case in exchange for a monetary payment out of court. NGOs asserted the need for a specialized family court.

INDIA

The Indian Government estimates that 301 women die annually for every 100,000 live births. In some states the maternal mortality ratio is even higher - 358 in Orissa, 371 in Bihar and 379 in MP. Since many deaths happen in the anonymity of women’s homes or on the way to seek help at a medical facility, they often go unrecorded. An estimated 80,000 pregnant women or new mothers die each year in India often from preventable causes including hemorrhage, eclampsia, sepsis and anemia.

IRAN

According to Human Rights Watch, Iran is a tier two center of trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, labor and the settlement of inter-family debt. Additionally, the government escalated its crackdown on women's rights activists in 2008, subjecting dozens of women to arbitrary detention, travel bans, and harassment. The Judiciary has also prosecuted women involved in peaceful activities on behalf of women’s rights for "disturbing public opinion," "propaganda against the order," and "publishing lies via the publication of false news."

IRAQ

Iraq is a tier two center of trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, labor and forced marriage for the settlement of debts. Violence against women and girls in Iraq continues to be a serious problem, with members of insurgent groups and militias, soldiers, and police among the perpetrators. Insurgent groups operating in Basra and Baghdad have specifically targeted women who are politicians, civil servants, journalists, and women's rights activists. They have also attacked women on the street for what they consider "immoral" or "un-Islamic" behavior including not wearing a headscarf. The threat of these attacks keeps many Iraqi women at home. "Honor" killing by family members also remains a prevalent physical threat to Iraqi women and girls.

JORDAN

According to Human Rights Watch, Jordan is a tier two transportation hub for women from Africa and the Middle East to be used in illegal labor and prostitution.

LIBERIA

Widespread child abuse continued, and reports of sexual violence against children increased during the year. Civil society organizations reported increased incidence of rape of girls under 12.

LIBYA

According to Human Rights Watch, Libya is a transit and destination country for men and women from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Libya has no domestic violence law, and inadequate laws punishing sexual violence. Judges have the authority to propose marriage between the rapist and the victim as a "social remedy" to the crime. The government detains dozens of victims, particularly rape victims, in "social rehabilitation" facilities. Many are denied the opportunity to challenge the legality of their detention. The authorities subject them to forced virginity examinations and punitive treatment, including solitary confinement. The only way out of these facilities is if a male relative takes custody of the woman or girl, or if she consents to marriage.

MALAYSIA

According to Human Rights Watch, Malaysia is a tier 2 reception and transfer point for men and women used for illegal labor and sexual exploitation. There are 2.1 million documented migrants in Malaysia in November 2007. Undocumented migrants are estimated at over 400,000, some 150,000 of whom are refugees or asylum seekers. The People's Volunteer Corps (RELA), numbering half a million members, is empowered by law to enter any premises and arrest "undesirable persons" and suspected undocumented migrants. No search or arrest warrants are necessary. During 2007, close to 60,000 migrants-including children-were arrested, imprisoned, or deported. Most migrant children are denied access to schools and some end up in exploitative forms of child labor.

NICARAGUA

The law criminalizes all forms of rape, regardless of the relationship between the victim and the accused, and the government generally enforced the law. Women may apply the law against their spouses. However, many women were reluctant to report abuse or file charges due to the social stigma attached to rape, fear of retribution, and loss of economic security. Through December the NNP Women's Police Commissariats reported 3,482 cases of sexual crimes, including 1,289 cases of rape, 47 cases of aggravated rape, 92 cases of attempted rape, and 704 cases of statutory rape. There were no reliable statistics available regarding the number of rape prosecutions or convictions. The PDDH Special Prosecutor for Women reported that more women were killed violently during the first six months of 2008 than in the same period in 2007. Police reported a 25 percent increase in the filing of gender-based and domestic violence complaints during the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2007.

PANAMA

According to Human Rights Watch, Panama is a tier 2 Humans Rights offender. Panamanian women and children are forcibly inducted into the sex trade.  Children are forcibly impounded into the labor market as well.

PARAGUAY

Violations of women’s rights have occurred most frequently in situations of sexual and domestic abuse. Spousal abuse is common and underreported, but it is a crime in Paraguay only if deemed habitual. Abuse and sexual abuse of children also are problems. The passage of the Child and Adolescent Law in 2001 required that departmental agencies be created to monitor and protect children’s rights, but so far the effect has been minimal. Trafficking in women and children from Paraguay remains a serious problem. Paraguay’s penal code outlaws trafficking of persons, but there have been no reported prosecutions of suspected traffickers.

PERU

Violence against women and girls, including rape, spousal abuse, and sexual, physical, and mental abuse was a problem. Insensitivity on the part of law enforcement and judicial authorities toward female victims contributed to a societal attitude of permissiveness toward abuse. The Ministry of Women and Social Development reported that four of every 10 women were victims of domestic violence. Prostitution is legal for women over 18 years of age if they register with municipal authorities and carry a health certificate. The vast majority of prostitutes worked in the informal sector, where they lacked health protection. NGOs reported that traffickers lured increasing numbers of underage women into prostitution. Penalties for pimps and clients of underage prostitutes range from four to eight years in prison. There was no information on the number of cases reported, prosecuted, or convicted.

QATAR

Qatar is a tier 3, destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation. The most common offense was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited. Other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse.

RUSSIA

Russian woman are increasingly forced into the global prostitution and sex trade.

SAUDI ARABIA

According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia is a tier 3 violator in which foreign immigrants are held in houses and forced to work without pay or with reduced pay. Women also cannot leave an employer without the employer’s permission. Women are also oppressed through male dominated societal prerogatives and religious dogma. The government continues to treat women as legal minors, denying them a host of fundamental human rights. The government requires women to obtain permission from a male guardian to work, study, marry, travel, and even receive a national identification card.

Women are prohibited from working in offices or entering government buildings that lack female sections, or pursuing degrees in disciplines not taught in women's colleges. The Ministry of Labor replaced its prohibition on mixed workplaces with vaguely worded obligations to respect Islamic law on the matter, and so the current workplace environment remains highly segregated. The Ministry of Justice denies women the right to be judges or prosecutors, or to practice law.

SENEGAL

The maternal mortality rate – 500 deaths for every 100,000 births is exceptionally high. This is attributable to a very weak health infrastructure as well as societal pressures that impinge upon a woman’s right to seek good health care. Senegalese woman also face early marriage and genital mutilation. Abortion is illegal and this contributes to a high death rate, particularly among teenagers.  

SOUTH AFRICA

According to Human Rights Watch, South Africa is a tier 2 source of transit, and destination for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Women and girls are trafficked internally - and occasionally to European and Asian countries - for sexual exploitation. Women from other African countries are trafficked to South Africa and, less frequently, onward to Europe for sexual exploitation. Men and boys are trafficked from neighboring countries for forced agricultural labor. Asian and Eastern European women are trafficked to South Africa for debt-bonded sexual exploitation.

SYRIA

There are many political prisoners in Syria with little hope of getting free. According to Human Rights Watch, Syria is a tier 3 destination and transit country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. A significant number of women and children in the large and expanding Iraqi refugee community in Syria are reportedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation by Iraqi gangs or, in some cases, their families. Women from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone are recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of involuntary servitude, including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or sexual abuse.

Syria's constitution guarantees gender equality but the penal code also contains provisions that  allows a judge to suspend punishment for a rapist if the rapist chooses to marry his victim, and provides leniency for "honor" crimes.

TAJIKISTAN

According to Human Rights Watch, Tajikistan is a tier 2 source country for women trafficked through Kyrgyzstan and Russia to the UAE, Turkey, and Russia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Men are trafficked to Russia and Kazakhstan for the purpose of forced labor, primarily in the construction and agricultural industries. Boys and girls are trafficked internally for various purposes, including forced labor and forced begging. Women and girls in Tajikistan continue to confront gender-based discrimination and violence. Surveys indicate between one-third and one-half of women experience domestic violence, most of whom have little access to redress.. The UN report on violence against women in Tajikistan said that women in Tajikistan "are caught within a web of poverty, patriarchy, and a weak protective infrastructure, resulting in increased vulnerability to violence and discrimination inside and outside their homes."

TANZANIA

Domestic violence against women remained widespread. The law prohibits assault but does not specifically prohibit spousal battery. Cultural, family, and social pressures often prevented women from reporting abuses, and authorities rarely took action against abusers of women. Police reportedly were often reluctant to pursue domestic abuse cases. Societal attitudes towards domestic violence are changing, especially in urban areas. Increasingly, domestic violence is not considered acceptable. During the year there were prosecutions and convictions for spousal abuse of husbands who beat their wives. There were also rare cases of husbands who took their wives to court for abuse. NGOs such as Kiwohede and TAWLA regularly educated the public about the laws concerning spousal abuse and provided education and shelter assistance to victims.

UZBEKISTAN

According to Human Rights Watch, Uzbekistan is a Tier 2 source country for women and girls trafficked to Kazakhstan, Russia, Middle East, and Asia for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Men are trafficked to Kazakhstan and Russia for purposes of forced labor in the construction, cotton, and tobacco industries. Men and women are also trafficked internally for the purposes of domestic servitude, forced labor in the agricultural and construction industries, and for commercial sexual exploitation.

VENEZUELA

According to Human Rights Watch, Venezuela is a tier 2, source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked within the country for sexual exploitation, lured from the nation's interior to urban and tourist areas. Child prostitution in urban areas and child sex tourism in resort destinations appear to be growing. Venezuelan women and girls are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Western Europe, Mexico, and Caribbean destinations.

ZAMBIA

According to Human Rights Watch, Zambia is a tier two, source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; many Zambian child laborers, particularly those in the agriculture, domestic service, and fishing sectors, are also victims of human trafficking; Zambian women, lured by false employment or marriage offers abroad, are trafficked to South Africa via Zimbabwe and to Europe via Malawi for sexual exploitation; Zambia is a transit point for regional trafficking of women and children, particularly from Angola to Namibia and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Africa for agricultural labor. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and children is a major endemic problem in Zambia, especially in Lusaka and the Copperbelt, fueling the country's HIV pandemic and impeding women's access to HIV treatment. The VSU - Victim Support Unit received reports between January and August 2008 of 65 rape and 626 child rape cases in Lusaka alone. The AIDS pandemic continues to devastate Zambia's population. According to United Nations estimates,

ZIMBABWE

According to Human Rights Watch, Zimbabwe is a tier two, source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Large scale migration of Zimbabweans to surrounding countries - as they flee a progressively more desperate situation at home - has increased. Rural Zimbabwean men, women, and children are trafficked internally to farms for agricultural labor and domestic servitude and to cities for domestic labor and commercial sexual exploitation; young men and boys are trafficked to South Africa for farm work, often laboring for months in South Africa without pay before "employers" have them arrested and deported as illegal immigrants. Young women and girls are lured abroad with false employment offers that result in involuntary domestic servitude or commercial sexual exploitation. Men, women and children from neighboring states are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa.