A social welfare program covers employees of industrial, commercial, and agricultural firms funded equally from employee and employer contributions. The government funds any deficit. Retirement is set at age 55. Pensions are also available for survivors and disability. Work injury insurance is funded by the employer.
The status of women varies, ranging from restriction to traditional occupations in rural areas to prominent positions in the public and private sectors in urban areas. Women are generally relegated to traditional roles and have limited opportunities. Domestic abuse is pervasive, and there are no government sponsored programs to assist victims. Although the government signed the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, the abuse of children is widespread. Many children in Haiti are forced to work as domestic servants in the homes of middle and upper class families, a practice that has been cited as "20th-century slavery" in a UN report.
Haiti has an extremely poor human rights record.
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