Landlocked and entirely surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho lives in the shadow of its much larger neighbour - relying on it for most of its trade, aid and remittances - and struggling to generate any international interest or attention. And yet, Lesotho faces a host of serious problems - from acute poverty and chronic malnutrition, to widespread unemployment and one of the highest rates of HIV and AIDS in the world. More than 8 percent of children die before they are 5 years old and the average life expectancy is just 46.
Coupled with these alarming statistics, Lesotho's poor farming families are battling to produce sufficient food to feed themselves - let alone produce enough to make a profit - as years of irregular rains, environmental degradation, climate change and the impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic slash their harvests.
The government has been praised for its willingness to tackle these issues but it simply does not have the capacity or resources to make an impact. And while peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, the elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to dispute how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly - so that many politicians are still focusing on the polls rather than the needs of the people. However, if the complaints can be resolved, Lesotho's mixed electoral system - involving both first-past-the-post and proportional representation - could offer a more representative model for the southern African region.
Lesotho's human rights record is generally good, although many of the poorest and most marginalised groups do not have access to many basic socio-economic rights and services. And women still suffer from a low social status and continue to be disadvantaged by discriminatory laws.
In terms of civil society, the sector is generally weak, but there are encouraging signs of new forms of economic/environmental justice advocacy, particularly around mining issues as well as the Lesotho dam displacements and environmental degradation.
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