Minister of Gender and Family, H.E. Zenysha Shaheed Zaki, stated today that promotion and protection of women’s rights is not only for women and that participation of both genders is equally important.
Speaking at the ceremony held at Dharubaaruge today to mark International Women’s Day, Minister Zenysha noted the importance of increasing men’s engagement in order to facilitate equal opportunities for girls and women to participate in all sectors of the society.
Minister Zenysha also highlighted the progress made to strengthen the legal framework on women’s rights and gender equality in the Maldives. Noting the implementation of specific laws on domestic violence, sexual offences and sexual harassment, Minister Zenysha observed that the ratification of Gender Equality Law last year further enhances the efforts made to protect women and reduce gender-based barriers. She further stated that the amendment brought to Family Act, necessitating equal division of marital property after divorce, also supports the protection provided to vulnerable women.
Recognizing that women constitute half of the population of the Maldives, Minister Zenysha emphasized on the need for greater participation of women in leadership positions to foster greater national development. She also emphasized on the need to identify challenges faced by women seeking positions at decision-making levels, and to make it a priority to introduce effective solutions to address these challenges.
8 March 2018