UN Women HQ

Search... SEARCH

Asia and the Pacific

Republic of the Marshall

Islands
 

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is an

independent Paci[c Island nation that lies in the
north-western Paci[c Ocean. RMI is made up of 29
coral atolls, each containing many islets surrounding
a lagoon, and [ve islands, however, only 22 atolls and
four islands are inhabited[1]. In 1979 RMI gained its
independence from the United States of America
(USA) to become an independent sovereign state. A
Compact of Free Association between RMI and USA
came into force in 1986[1].

Women and the Law

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) currently

has no domestic violence, sexual harassment, human
traPcking or sex tourism legislation in place. There
are also no minimum sentences or mandatory
prosecutions in cases of sexual violence. 

The RMI Constitution grants protection to customs

and traditions, with no provision for giving priority to
the rights of individuals whom customary law
discriminates against (including where it is
discriminatory against women), in non-compliance
with the Convention on  the Elimination of all forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). It should be
noted that customary law can in some circumstances
be advantageous to Marshallese women, speci[cally
in terms of the tradition of matrilineal property title. 

RMI has legislated against the admission of evidence

of the victim’s prior sexual conduct with persons
other than the accused, however, in non-compliance
with CEDAW, evidence of sexual conduct with the
accused can still be admitted in an attempt to prove
consent. 

RMI traditionally has a matriarchal society, with land

rights traditionally inherited along the matrilineal line,
however, this tradition is being steadily eroded as
Marshallese society urbanises and the population
increases, making the tracing of lineage and land
rights more diPcult.

The Council of Iroji is the upper house of the

Marshallese parliament and is made up of members
appointed by virtue of their chiegy titles. Although
women are not normally given chiegy status they are
not prohibited from holding it and the Council of Iroji
currently has three female members (of 12 in total).
The Council of Iroji is particularly empowered to
review matters relating to customary law.

Violence Against Women

Approximately 58% of men and 56% of women

generally accept that violence against women is a
normal part of marital relationships and 36% of RMI
women have experienced either physical or sexual
violence, with spouses being the most common
perpetrator of both. About 22% of all RMI women
report experiencing physical violence in the previous
12 months. Among women who have experienced
physical violence, 72% reported that a current
husband or partner committed physical violence
against them, while 21% reported that they had
experienced violence by a former husband/partner. 

Women and the Economy

Of RMI’s labour force, 41% are employed in the private

sector and 31% in the public sector, with self-
employment amounting to 25%. The remaining 3% of
people comprise employers, unpaid workers, and paid
workers in family-operated businesses or farms.

About 66% of men are classed as economically

active, compared to just one in three women. Female
unemployment rates are much higher than male
unemployment rates, with national averages of 37%
and 28% respectively.  Substantial differences also
exist in wages earned by men and women with
similar educational quali[cations: women’s average
wages were measured at US$7595.00 annually,
compared with US$10,772 for men in the same jobs. 

Although there is no legislative barrier to women in

RMI accessing [nancial services such as loans and
mortgages, discrimination can obstruct women from
obtaining credit, which impacts on their economic
independence, ability to engage in business and
equitable ability to earn a livelihood.

Traditionally, matrilineal succession of land rights

afforded women a position of inguence in society,
however, the erosion of customary land tenure
practice means many women no longer have
autonomy over land and married couples tend to live
on land belonging to the husband’s family. This is
identi[ed as increasing women’s vulnerability, as they
are deprived of protection previously provided by
brothers and uncles.

RMI appears to be on track to eliminate gender

disparity in education, with largely equal rates of
enrollment in both primary and secondary schooling,
however, dropout rates for girls in secondary and
tertiary education (associated with adolescent
pregnancy) continue to be of concern, impacting on
women’s economic participation. 

In the outer islands, women’s workload has tended to

increase over time, and high male unemployment has
meant that women have increasingly become the sole
economic providers for their families.

Women’s Health

Health issues speci[c to the RMI include the

generational impacts of the 67 atmospheric atomic
and thermonuclear weapons tests carried out on RMI
territory between 1946 and 1958. These health
impacts include high instances of birth defects
(frequently called ‘jelly[sh babies’), miscarriage, and
weakened immune systems as well as high rates of
thyroid, cervical, breast and other cancers. These
birth defects cause particular distress to Marshallese
women, as local culture views reproductive
abnormalities as a sign that women have been
unfaithful to their husbands.

In addition to speci[c health impacts, populations of

Marshallese citizens were also displaced from their
home islands by the nuclear testing and compelled to
live in areas with inferior agricultural and marine
resources. In particular, the dispossessed residents
of Bikini Atoll are estimated to have had higher levels
of radiation exposure than any other population in
history.   

The majority of men (73%) and women (60%) have

had sex before they turned 18, yet rates of condom
use at [rst sexual encounter are extremely low.
Approximately 94% of births in RMI were assisted by
a skilled attendant and the country is on track to
achieve Millennium Development Goal 4, that of
halving rates of mortality for children under [ve
(U5M). The U5M rate fell by 51% in the period of 1988
to 2009. Adolescent fertility rates remain by far the
highest in the region (at 138 per 1,000 live births),
however, the rate of adolescent fertility has declined
substantially in the period of 1988 to 2007. The
number of sexually active women with unmet
contraception needs is also low by regional standards
at 8%.   

About 91% of Marshallese women have low daily

consumption of fruit and vegetables, 55% have low
daily levels of physical activity, and 52% are classi[ed
as obese. Communicable diseases common in RMI
include amoebiasis, conjunctivitis, gastroenteritis,
gonorrhoea, inguenza, leprosy, scabies, syphilis and
tuberculosis. RMI is off-track for achieving the
Millennium Development Goal of reversing the spread
of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis by 2015.

Women and the Environment

Annual maximum and minimum temperatures have

increased in both Majuro and Kwajalein since 1956
and 1960 respectively. In Majuro, maximum
temperatures have increased at a rate of 0.12°C per
decade, and at Kwajalein the rate of increase has
been 0.2°C per decade. Satellite data indicate the sea
level has risen near the RMI by about 0.3 inches
(7mm) per annum since 1993. The global average is
0.11-0.14 inches (2.8-3.6mm) a year. 

Climate change and rising sea levels pose the gravest

risk when it comes to food security and physical
security for Marshallese women, a culture where
primary care is a traditional role afforded to women.
In a matriarchal society where women are the
custodian of land, culture and tradition, the threat of
climate change in destroying atolls and land poses an
even greater threat to the depletion of language and
identity. This heightens poverty and increases the
vulnerability of women.

UN Women in RMI

Advancing Gender Justice in the PaciCc (AGJP)

Programme: UN Women continues building the
capacity of its government and civil society partners
for CEDAW implementation and reporting, particularly
in adopting a harmonised human rights treaty
reporting approach. When it comes to women’s
political participation, UN Women is undertaking
advocacy initiatives through its Empowerment Series
Events.

Ending Violence against Women (EVAW)

Programme: This programme provides stakeholders
with access to virtual knowledge platforms, tools and
evidence-based resources in order to better equip
them with the knowledge and evidence to advocate
for strengthened EVAW legislation, improved policies
and services for violence against women survivors.
Social media tools are also made available to support
community mobilisation that aims to end violence
against women and girls, through campaigns such as
the United Nations Secretary General’s UNiTE to
EVAW and Say NO-UNiTE.

Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE)

Programme: UN Women is supporting informed
decision-making in RMI by providing technical
assistance to national and local government in
producing knowledge products that include improved
and comparable evidence on the economic situation
of RMI’s women.

Increasing Community Resilience through

Empowerment of Women to Address Climate Change
and Natural Hazards (IREACH) Programme: UN
Women supports the incorporation of gender
dimensions in strategic documents for disaster risk
management and climate change through the
provision of knowledge products and tools on the
gendered implications of climate change and
disasters.

[1] UNDAF country assessment

 
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Print
Share

Latest news
28/07/2022
National Counter Terrorism Agency and UN Women organize
dialogue on gender-responsive policymaking to counter
extremism in Indonesia

22/07/2022
PRESS RELEASE: Creating Safe Workspaces for Women
Market Vendors in Vanuatu

21/07/2022
UN Women and Ant Foundation launch “Together Digital” to
empower women entrepreneurs in the digital economy

20/07/2022
Meet Jacinto Ximenes, a champion for women and girls with
disabilities

20/07/2022
In the words of Chandrawathi Dissanayaka: Female decision-
makers “are often bullied into resigning”
More news ►

Follow us

About Us
About UN Women
Directorate
Guiding documents
Accountability
Procurement
Employment
Contact Us

What We Do
End Violence against Women
Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction
UN System Coordination
Trust Funds
Economic empowerment
CEDAW & Women's Human Rights
Peace and Security
Governance
HIV & AIDS

Where We Are
Afghanistan
Bhutan
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Cook Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji Multi-Country OPce
India
Indonesia
Kiribati
Lao PDR
Maldives
Myanmar
Nauru
Nepal
Niue
Pakistan
Palau
Philippines
Papua New Guinea
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Viet Nam

Partnerships
Government partners
National Machineries
Civil Society
Private Sector
Foundations
National Committees
Goodwill Ambassadors
Our Supporters

News & events

News
Events
In Focus
Editorial series
Media Contacts

Digital library
Publications
Multimedia
Videos
Photos
Annual Report

Get involved
30 for 2030
Generation Equality
Simply Giving
#HeForSheAtHome Challenge
HeForShe

Logo EN
Copyright © UN Women
Terms of use Privacy notice Information security
Employment Procurement Contact Us