Ministry of Gender and Family has today concluded the basic sign language training course conducted for social service workers of the Ministry and Investigation Officers from Maldives Police Service. The training was designed to improve the quality of services provided in cases relating to abuse and neglect towards children and persons with hearing disabilities by equipping participants with the skills to communicate directly with them.
A total of 54 staff from the Ministry and 20 Investigation Officers from Maldives Police Service participated in the training, which was held in three batches from January to March 2017. Relevant officials from state owned companies, which recently provided jobs for persons with disabilities, also participated in the course.
Speaking at the closing session, Minister Zenysha noted with concern the increase in the number of cases reported and attended by the Ministry with regard to abuse and neglect towards persons with disabilities and expressed hope that participants would apply the knowledge and skills gained through this training to strengthen investigations and interventions. In addition, Minister Zenysha also expressed appreciation for the continuous support extended by UNICEF Maldives towards capacity building of professionals working in the field of social service in the Maldives.