President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that Women's Development Committees in some islands are not receiving cooperation from island councils.
Speaking at the Viavathi Raajje Conference ongoing in Alif Alif Ukulhas, President Solih said the Decentralization Act was amended to create empowered women's development committees to increase women's empowerment and participation in development activities.
After listening to the concerns of some members of women's development committees attending the conference, the President said he was receiving complaints that some councils were not giving the opportunity to the committees to carry out their mandate and were excluding them without cooperation.
"I urge the councils to change these actions that make work difficult for the committees," he said.
The President added that he would work to address the concerns raised by the committees.
Speaking at the conference, Gender Minister Aishath Mohamed Didi said the Women's Development Committees were not elected in name but for a specific purpose. She said women could work in all fields and asked to cooperate with the committees.
One of the main objectives of the Viavathi Conference, which is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, is to strengthen further the efforts initiated by President Solih to empower councils to enhance the decentralization system in the Maldives.
